Rural folks, men more likely to have hearing loss
A new report shows hearing loss affecting approximately 37.9 million Americans and is more common in rural areas than urban ones and in men than women.
The study, recently published in The Lancet Regional Health-Americas 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. The estimates are for 2019 and only include people who have hearing loss in both ears.
While the study could not explain the reason for the geographic divide, experts who treat hearing loss say there are two factors to consider: how loud noises are and how often people hear them.
A person who rides the subway in a bustling city could, in theory, go six to eight hours before being at risk of hearing loss, said audiologist Nicholas Reed, assistant professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University who is a co-author of the study. On the other hand, hunters who don’t wear ear protection can damage their hearing with just a few pulls of the trigger.
Experts say rural Americans need better access to hearing screenings and specialists. Many jobs in rural areas use loud machinery. Popular leisure activities in these areas, like hunting, woodworking and riding all-terrain vehicles, also put hearing at risk.
The study also found that men were more likely than women to have hearing loss, starting at age 35, which is in line with previous estimates.
The highest rates were among non-Hispanic white people and those 65 and older.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded the study.