Do you recall spending time with someone and having to ask them to repeat something that they’ve said? Most of the time we attribute this to a noisy environment, or simply just that we didn’t hear what they had said. However, according to a recent study performed at John Hopkins University researchers estimate that 55 million Americans have hearing loss in one or both ears due largely to the use of personal stereos and aging health problems.

There are a number of risk factors that can result in hearing loss or hearing damage. For people over 70 years of age, hearing loss is a common occurrence but hearing loss also affected 8.5% of people in their 20s and 17% of people in their 30s. Studies have also shown that race and genetics can be a factor in the development of hearing loss. For example, men are twice as likely as women to experience hearing loss in one or both of their ears, while whites are also two times more prone than blacks for developing the problem. Another risk factor that can have an effect on the performance of a person’s hearing is the exposure to loud noises in the workplace, and also the exposure to loud bouts of music. Research has also linked hearing loss to other health related issues including high blood pressure and diabetes, which are both large problems in a number of people today.

Because of embarrassment or sadness, it is very common for people to ignore the problem of hearing loss when it first may occur. This can later grow into a number of social problems that can possibly affect the performance of the person while working, may lead to difficulty communicating with others and can also lead to bouts of depression.

Hearing loss is a national problem that affects people of all ages and it’s important to maintain proper health screenings throughout the duration of your life to check for hearing loss. So the next time you are talking with a friend and you ask them to repeat what they’ve said because you can’t “hear” them; you may be more right than you think.

For more information about individual health insurance in North Carolina, contact IBD Insurance today!

Tags: Group Health, Health, Healthy Living //