Hearing loss risk factors: who is more likely to lose hearing

How common hearing loss is

About 15% of American adults (37.5 million) ages 18 and over report some trouble hearing. About one in three people in the U.S. between the ages of 65 and 74 has hearing loss, and nearly half of those older than 75 have difficulty hearing (NIDCD). Because age-related hearing loss is gradual, you may not realize you have lost some of your ability to hear (NIDCD).

There are two main types. One happens when the inner ear or the auditory nerve is damaged, and it is usually permanent. The other happens when sound waves cannot reach the inner ear, for example because of earwax buildup, fluid, or a punctured eardrum; treatment or surgery can often reverse this kind (MedlinePlus).

What raises the risk

MedlinePlus lists these possible causes of hearing loss: heredity, diseases such as ear infections and meningitis, trauma, certain medicines, long-term exposure to loud noise, and aging (MedlinePlus).

• Getting older. Changes in the inner ear are common with age, and age-related changes in the middle ear and along the nerve pathways from the ear to the brain can also affect hearing (NIDCD).
• Loud noise. Long-term exposure to noise can play a role in hearing loss as we age (NIDCD). Noise-induced hearing loss can come from a one-time intense "impulse" sound, such as an explosion, or from continuous loud sound over a long time, such as noise in a woodworking shop (NIDCD).
• Genes. Research suggests that certain genes make some people more susceptible to hearing loss as they age (NIDCD).
• Health conditions. Conditions that are more common in older people, such as high blood pressure and diabetes, are associated with hearing loss (NIDCD).
• Medicines that harm the ear. Medicines that are toxic to the sensory cells in the ears, some chemotherapy drugs for example, can cause hearing loss (NIDCD).
• Middle ear problems. Less commonly, abnormalities of the middle ear, such as otosclerosis, can worsen hearing with age (NIDCD).

Noise: how loud is too loud

Noise damage can happen at any age, including in children, teens and young adults (NIDCD). Based on a 2011 to 2012 CDC study, at least 10 million U.S. adults under age 70 (6 percent), and perhaps as many as 40 million (24 percent), have hearing test features that suggest hearing loss from loud noise (NIDCD).

Sounds at or below 70 A-weighted decibels (dBA) are unlikely to cause hearing loss, even after long exposure. Long or repeated exposure to sounds at or above 85 dBA can cause hearing loss, and the louder the sound, the shorter the time it takes (NIDCD). The NIDCD gives these average levels (NIDCD):

Activities the NIDCD names as risks include target shooting and hunting, snowmobile riding, listening to music at high volume through earbuds or headphones, playing in a band, and loud concerts; at home, lawnmowers, leaf blowers and woodworking tools (NIDCD). Gunshots or explosions can rupture the eardrum or damage the bones in the middle ear, and that kind of loss can be immediate and permanent (NIDCD). Loud noise can also cause tinnitus, a ringing, buzzing or roaring in the ears or head (NIDCD).

Sudden hearing loss

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss can happen at any age but most often affects adults in their late 40s and early 50s. Only about 10 percent of people diagnosed have an identifiable cause (NIDCD). Causes the NIDCD lists include infections, head trauma, autoimmune diseases, certain drugs that treat cancer or severe infections, blood circulation problems, neurological disorders such as multiple sclerosis, and inner ear disorders such as Ménière's disease (NIDCD).

Lowering your risk

Scientists don't yet know how to prevent age-related hearing loss, but you can protect yourself from noise-induced hearing loss (NIDCD), which the NIDCD calls the only type of hearing loss that is completely preventable (NIDCD). Its advice: know which noises can cause damage; wear earplugs or other protective devices during loud activities; move away from noise you can't reduce or block; protect the ears of children who are too young to protect their own; and have your hearing tested if you think you might have hearing loss (NIDCD). A good rule of thumb is to avoid noises that are too loud, too close, or last too long (NIDCD).

Untreated, hearing problems can get worse. Possible treatments include hearing aids, cochlear implants, special training, certain medicines, and surgery (MedlinePlus). For adults with mild to moderate hearing loss, over-the-counter hearing aids have been available since 2022; if one does not help, or you have trouble hearing loud sounds, see a hearing health professional, because your loss may be more severe (NIDCD).

For what the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says about hearing tests for adults 50 and older who have not noticed a problem, see the hearing loss screening check. Hearing loss is also on the list of dementia risk factors; the CDC calls hearing loss a very important dementia risk factor (CDC).

Common questions

What is the most common cause of hearing loss in adults?

Age-related hearing loss is one of the most common conditions affecting adults as they age, and it typically occurs in both ears (NIDCD). Long-term noise exposure can add to it, and the damage from noise combined with aging can lead to hearing loss severe enough to need hearing aids (NIDCD).

Can young people get hearing loss from noise?

Yes. People of all ages, including children and teens, can develop noise-induced hearing loss. Researchers have estimated that as many as 17 percent of teens ages 12 to 19 have hearing test features suggestive of it, based on 2005 to 2006 data (NIDCD).

How do I know if I should get my hearing checked?

The NIDCD offers a 10-question self-check: if a hearing problem gives you trouble with TV or radio, at parties, or with family and friends, and you answer "yes" to two or more questions or "sometimes" to three or more, consider having your hearing checked (NIDCD).