Hearing loss is a major public health issue affecting about 9 million people in England
- because age-related hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss, it is estimated that by 2035 there will be around 13 million people with hearing loss in England - a fifth of the population
- the psychological, financial and health burden of hearing loss can be reduced by prompt and accurate referral, robust assessment and correct management
hearing loss (2)
- may occur at any age
- impairs verbal communication
- may be unilateral or bilateral
- can be classified as :
- conductive - lesions in the outer or middle ear
- sensorineural -lesions in the inner ear or auditory nerve
- mixed - both, conductive and sensorineural hearing loss involved
- central - caused by lesions along the auditory pathway or in the brain (3)
The prevalence of deafness based on age group has been stated (4):
Notes:
Normal Hearing | -10-26 dB |
Mild Hearing Impairment | 27-40 dB |
Moderate Hearing Impairment | 41-55 dB |
Moderately Severe Impairment | 56-70 dB |
Severe Hearing Impairment | 71-90 dB |
Profound Hearing Impairment | >= 91 dB |
Reference:
- (1) NICE (June 2018). Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management
- (2) differential diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss ,Jon E. Isaacson, american family physician
- (3) universal newborn hearing screening, Stevens Wrightson, american family physician, May 1, 2007, Vol. 75: No. 9
- (4) NHS England. Hearing loss data tool 2019 https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/joint-strategic-needs-assessment-toolkit/2016 Accessed July 14th 2020
- (5) Katz, J. Handbook of Clinical Audiology, Williams and Wilkins, 1985.
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