ear, nose, and throat disorders
Hearing Loss
Introduction
Worldwide, about half a billion people (almost 8% of the world's population) have hearing loss ( General reference ). More than 10% of people in the US have some degree of hearing loss that compromises their daily communication, making it the most common sensory disorder. About 1/800 to 1/1000 neonates are born with severe to profound hearing loss. Two to 3 times as many are born with lesser hearing loss. During childhood, another 2 to 3/1000 children acquire moderate to severe hearing loss. Adolescents are at risk from excessive exposure to noise, head trauma, or both. Older adults typically experience a progressive decrease in hearing ( Hearing Impairment in Children can result in lifelong impairments in receptive and expressive language skills. The severity of the handicap is determined by The age at which the hearing loss occurred The nature of the loss (its duration, the frequencies affected, and the degree) The susceptibilities of the individual child (eg, coexisting visual impairment, intellectual disability, primary language deficits, inadequate linguistic environment) Children who have other sensory, linguistic, or cognitive deficiencies are affected most severely. (See also Sudden Hearing Loss .) 