Hearing loss can develop before you even notice the problem. Once it happens, you can't reverse it and treatment becomes the best option. Importantly, in many cases, noise-induced hearing loss can be prevented.
About 48 million adults experience some degree of hearing loss. Researchers say half of people between 12-35 are at risk of hearing loss due in part to exposure to loud sounds, including music pumped through personal audio devices. Hearing loss is already a problem among older people, with the condition now experienced by one-third of Americans between 64 and 75.
Consistent exposure to loud sounds, and exposure to a single loud sound, can contribute to hearing loss, which if left untreated may increase the risk of health conditions such as dementia.
Helping people maintain or improve their hearing health can help them enhance their overall well-being and reduce their risks of falls and health conditions associated with untreated hearing loss, such as social isolation and depression.
UnitedHealthcare is collaborating with Wish of a Lifetime, the charitable affiliate of AARP, to launch a public awareness campaign to let people know how they can protect their hearing.
Dr. Monica Murray, an audiologist with UnitedHealthcare and a nationally recognized hearing health expert, discusses hearing loss and ways we can protect our hearing, especially by trying to prevent noise-induced hearing loss.
