Hearing Loss
Authors: Joshua Uy, Mary Ann Forciea
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2013)

In the Clinic2 April 2013Hearing LossJoshua Uy, MD, Mary Ann Forciea, MD, Deborah Cotton, MD, MPH, Darren B. Taichman, MD, PhD, and Sankey V. Williams, MDJoshua Uy, MD, Mary Ann Forciea, MD, Deborah Cotton, MD, MPH, Darren B. Taichman, MD, PhD, and Sankey V. Williams, MDAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-158-7-201304020-01004 SectionsSupplemental MaterialAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Although hearing loss is common, especially among older adults, it is often unrecognized by patients and physicians and undertreated. In a population-based study of persons older than 70 years in 2006, the overall prevalence of hearing loss was 63%, with moderate to severe levels in 27% of the sample (1). As many as 79% of hearing-impaired older adults have never used a hearing aid (2).The severity of hearing loss is determined by audiometry and is based on volume thresholds defined in decibels (dB): mild (26–40 dB), moderate (41–55 dB), severe (56–80 dB), and profound (>80 dB) (Table 1). The ...References1. Lin FR, Thorpe R, Gordon-Salant S, Ferrucci L. Hearing loss prevalence and risk factors among older adults in the United States. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011;66:582-90. [PMID: 21357188] Google Scholar2. Popelka MM, Cruickshanks KJ, Wiley TL, Tweed TS, Klein BE, Klein R. Low prevalence of hearing aid use among older adults with hearing loss: the Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1998;46:1075-8. [PMID: 9736098] Google Scholar3. Middleton A, Turner GH, Bitner-Glindzicz M, Lewis P, Richards M, Clarke A, et al. Preferences for communication in clinic from deaf people: a cross-sectional study. J Eval Clin Pract. 2010;16:811-7. [PMID: 20557411] Google Scholar4. 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Google Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited ByValidation of the Hearing Handicap Inventory for Adults Scale for Spanish-Speaking PatientsHearing Disorders Associated With Mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI) 2 April 2013Volume 158, Issue 7Page: ITC4-1KeywordsChildrenDeafnessElderlyHead injuryHearingOtorhinolaryngologyQuestionnairesSign languageSteroids ePublished: 2 April 2013 Issue Published: 2 April 2013 CopyrightCopyright © 2013 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF DownloadLoading ...