Self-reported Hearing Trouble in Adults Aged 18 and Over: United States, 2014

Age is typically the most significant determinant of hearing loss (5,6). Among U.S. adults in 2014, self-reported hearing loss was most prevalent among adults aged 70 and over (43.2%), compared with adults aged 40-69 (19.0%) and aged 18-39 (5.5%). Age-related hearing loss is often overlooked due to its deceptively slow progression, lack of attention from providers, and public acceptance as a condition that is perceived to be a "normal" consequence of aging (7). Among U.S. adults aged 70 and over who had any trouble hearing, 56.8% had seen a doctor or other health care professional about their hearing or ear problems in the past 5 years, but only 42.0% had ever used a hearing aid. Younger adults (aged 18-39) who had any trouble hearing were even less likely to have seen a doctor or used a hearing aid, but they were more likely to have used other assistive technology because of their hearing compared with adults aged 40-69 or 70 and over. Among U.S. adults who had any trouble hearing without a hearing aid, 1.7% were deaf, but the majority (62.6%) had mild hearing loss (defined as "a little trouble hearing"). Men were more likely than women to have self-reported trouble hearing, a sex disparity that has been documented globally among all age groups (8). Men were also more likely than women to state they had moderate trouble hearing.