hearing loss

Last edited 07/2020 and last reviewed 03/2023

Hearing loss is a major public health issue affecting about 9 million people in England

• because age-related hearing loss is the most common type of hearing loss, it is estimated that by 2035 there will be around 13 million people with hearing loss in England - a fifth of the population
• the psychological, financial and health burden of hearing loss can be reduced by prompt and accurate referral, robust assessment and correct management

hearing loss (2)

• may occur at any age
• impairs verbal communication
• may be unilateral or bilateral
• can be classified as :
  • conductive - lesions in the outer or middle ear
  • sensorineural -lesions in the inner ear or auditory nerve
  • mixed - both, conductive and sensorineural hearing loss involved
  • central - caused by lesions along the auditory pathway or in the brain (3)

The prevalence of deafness based on age group has been stated (4):

Notes:

• degrees of Hearing Loss (5):

  Normal Hearing	-10-26 dB
  Mild Hearing Impairment	27-40 dB
  Moderate Hearing Impairment	41-55 dB
  Moderately Severe Impairment	56-70 dB
  Severe Hearing Impairment	71-90 dB
  Profound Hearing Impairment	>= 91 dB

   

Reference:

• (1) NICE (June 2018). Hearing loss in adults: assessment and management
• (2) differential diagnosis and treatment of hearing loss ,Jon E. Isaacson, american family physician
• (3) universal newborn hearing screening, Stevens Wrightson, american family physician, May 1, 2007, Vol. 75: No. 9
• (4) NHS England. Hearing loss data tool 2019 https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/joint-strategic-needs-assessment-toolkit/2016     Accessed July 14th 2020
• (5) Katz, J. Handbook of Clinical Audiology, Williams and Wilkins, 1985.