Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in the United States. Approximately 24 - 28 million Americans have some from of hearing loss. More than 40% of all individuals who reported a hearing loss were 65 years of age or younger. Around 17% of Americans between the ages of 18 - 44 suffer hearing loss. More than 20 million Americans are exposed to hazardous sound levels on a regular basis. Of the 24 - 28 million who have hearing loss, about one third have been affected, at least in part, by noise. By age 65, more than one-third of the U.S. population develops a hearing loss serious enough to interfere with daily communication. Noise exposure and age are the primary causes of hearing impairment.
To provide a quick perspective of the increasing problem addressed, we have included a few quotes from earlier articles from the popular press regarding the incidence of hearing loss in America as well as that resulting from the "Graying of America" and the aging of the Baby Boomer Generation.
The article entitled, "Now Hear This, If You Can" appearing in TIME August 5, 1991, page 50 - 51 states "About 28 million Americans, or 11 % suffer serious hearing loss, and more than a third of the cases result from too much exposure to loud noise. Last week specialists testifying before a House committee documented an alarming new trend: more and more of the victims of noise-induced deafness are adolescents and even younger children." Discussing the increasing use of headphones that funnel 110 decibels into each ear, audiologist Dean Garstecki, head of the hearing-impairment program at Northwestern University was quoted as stating "we've got 21-year olds walking around with the hearing-loss patterns of people 40 years their senior."
The USA Weekend article, "A Hearing-loss Boom - Boomers' Latest Ailment: Failing Ears" reports "the number of people ages 35 - 44 suffering from hearing loss leapt by more than half between 1971 and 1985" (the latest figures available at the time of the article) " to 82 per thousand." "The greatest increase for that age group was greater than among either the 45 - 54 or 60-plus groups."
Also included is a copy of an article from the March 1993 edition of Hearing Instruments entitled "The Unscheduled Stop."
While we don't necessarily advocate marketing products by playing directly upon consumers' fears, this article does depict the type of situation our safety device might have prevented.
Further, we believe that the publication of that article in a trade magazine such as Hearing Instruments illustrates an early recognition by hearing health professionals of the increasing incidence of hearing loss among the American populace that the novel audiological feature of our product addresses.