• What is Hearing Loss?
  • Causes of Hearing Loss
  • Types of Hearing Loss
  • Tinnitus
  • Side Effects of Hearing Loss
  • The Importance of Early Intervention
• Hearing Loss Questionnaire
• Online Hearing Test
• Helping a Family Member with Hearing Loss
  • Hearing Loss Simulation
  • Observation Questionnaire
  • Stages of Hearing Loss
  • Hearing Loss in Children
• Hearing Loss Treatment Methods

Causes of Hearing Loss

The number one cause of hearing loss is excessive noise.

The normal aging process (presbycusis) is a close second - and it starts much earlier than you might think.

Changes in hearing begin at age 20, with significant decline in hearing ability as early as 40 years of age. At age 65 and older, one in three people has some type of hearing impairment.

Noise-Induced Hearing Loss^*

Many people have noise-induced hearing loss due to loud sounds in the environment. Sensitive structures in the inner ear can be damaged by prolonged exposure to excessive noise – or even by a single event like an explosion.

Occupational Risk	Recreational Risk
Factory workers Farmers Construction workers Military personnel Heavy industry workers Musicians Firefighters Police officers Dentists Transportation industry workers	Video arcades Firecrackers Discos Music concerts Target shooting or hunting Movie theaters Sporting events Motorcycles Snowmobiles Lawnmowers/leaf blowers “Boom cars”

*Danielson, R. Hearing Loss Prevention. (2011) Better Hearing Institute, www.betterhearing.org/hearing_loss_prevention