One in six Australians have some degree of hearing loss. This is equivalent to over three million Australians. As many as half the people aged over 60 experience some form of hearing impairment. However, this trend is not only confined to the later years, but becoming more prevalent in young adults who are exposed to loud music. Hearing loss is projected to increase to 1 in every 4 Australians by 2050. Hearing loss can be caused by exposure to noise, medical conditions, trauma or most commonly due to aging.
The effect of a hearing loss reduces the capacity to communicate and affects the quality of life in areas such as personal relationships, education, employment and daily life interactions.
Hearing loss mostly develop gradually, and you may not realize it for several years. It is more common that people realize. Nevertheless, it can inhibit your ability to experience sounds around you.