Hearing loss is an ailment that impacts a staggering 12 million people in the United Kingdom alone.
WHAT? How many people are deaf?!
1 in 6 UK residents have a hearing loss
Statistics suggest that 12 million people in the U.K. alone struggle with a hearing loss!
Though hearing loss varies in severity, and all 12 million people suffering from hearing loss are not completely deaf, 41% have chosen to retire early resulting in loss of income.
Actually, it’s estimated that the United Kingdom loses around 25 billion pounds annually due to lost employee productivity due to hearing loss.
Do you suffer from hearing loss or know someone who does? Keep reading for some shocking statistics and what resources there are to help.
Types of Hearing Loss
There are three types of hearing loss: conductive, sensorineural, and mixed.
Conductive Hearing Loss
Conductive hearing loss is often caused by a problem in the outer ear, eardrum or middle ear. This type of hearing loss happens when there is damage to the part of the ear that conducts sound from the outside world into the ear.
There are many things that can be done to help correct conductive hearing loss, including medication, surgery, and hearing aids.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is a little more complicated as it usually stems from damage to the actual organ or nerve of hearing. It could be problems with the inner ear (the cochlea), or the auditory nerve.
Depending on the severity, a cochlear implant, a hearing aid or medical management can help to correct sensorineural hearing loss.
Mixed Hearing Loss
Mixed hearing loss is a mixture of the two, and can also be corrected with surgery, implants or hearing aids, depending on its severity.
Key Statistics: How Many People Are Deaf?
According to the World Health Organization, a total of 360 million people around the globe are affected by disabling hearing loss.
As many as 1 in 3 people over the age of 65 are impacted.
Experts estimate that in 15 years, there will be almost 16 million people with hearing loss in the United Kingdom.
Although most cases of hearing loss are found in the elderly, it affects children too. In the U.K. alone, there are 50,000 children living with hearing loss.
Of these 50,000 children, around 50% were born with hearing loss.
How many people have Tinnitus?
Tinnitus is an extremely common form of hearing loss. Tinnitus is an incessant ringing in the ears and is caused by prolonged exposure to loud noise.
In the United Kingdom, roughly 1 in 8 adults suffer from tinnitus.
Only 20% of people who need a hearing aid actually use one.
Nearly 1 million people in the U.K. use British Sign Language (BSL) as their primary language.
What can be Done to Help People with Hearing Loss?
You came to this article wondering how many people are deaf.
Now that you have the answer, you should know that if you or someone you love is suffering from hearing loss, there are many resources available.
Click here now to find out more about our free at-home hearing tests. Once you know the problem, you can start working on the solution.