Hearing loss affects about 37.9 million Americans and is more common in rural than urban areas and in men than women, according to new estimates.
The study, published Wednesday in the Lancet Regional Health America Journal, is the first to estimate hearing loss rates at the state and county level and was led by NORC at the University of Chicago. This estimate is for his 2019 year and only includes people with hearing loss in both ears.
Although the study could not explain the reasons for the geographic disparities, experts who treat hearing loss say they need to consider two factors: the loudness of the noise and how often people hear it.
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Nicholas Reed, an audiologist and assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University who co-authored the study, said people who ride subways in crowded cities could theoretically experience hearing loss six to eight hours earlier. Ta. On the other hand, hunters without protective gear can damage their hearing with just a few pulls of the trigger.
Experts say people in rural America need better access to hearing tests and specialists. Many rural jobs may involve the use of loud machinery. Leisure activities that are popular in these regions, such as hunting, woodworking, and riding all-terrain vehicles, also put hearing at risk.
The study also found that men are more likely than women to develop hearing loss starting at age 35, which is consistent with previous estimates. The highest rates were among non-Hispanic whites and those 65 years and older.
Passengers board a train at the Union Square subway station on January 13, 2024 in New York City. New estimates published in the Lancet Community Health American Journal on January 24, 2024 say approximately 37.9 million Americans are affected by hearing loss. (AP Photo/Peter K. Afriyeh, File)
“The biggest risk factor for hearing loss is age,” said David Lane, director of NORC's Public Health Analysis Program and lead author of the paper.
Melanie Buer Lawler, a clinical professor and audiologist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, grew up on a farm in rural Wisconsin and later discovered the threat to hearing health when she studied hearing loss in rural populations. He said he saw it with his own eyes.
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“People who live in rural areas have a double whammy with their hearing health,” said Buer Lawler, who was not involved in the study. “They are therefore exposed to high noise levels not only through their jobs such as mining, agriculture and other rural jobs, but also through their leisure activities.”
For years, her research team distributed thousands of earplugs at a tractor stop in Tomah, Wisconsin, to raise awareness.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded this study.
