Americans Face Hearing Loss 'Epidemic'

Americans are likely to face an epidemic of hearing impairment in coming years as the use of personal listening devices soars and the population ages, Reuters reports. A third of adults already has hearing loss to some degree and the proportion is expected to rise significantly. White Americans, men, and the lesser educated are the worst affected, say researchers.

Almost 30 million adults have difficulty discerning speech, the researchers wrote in a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. They warned that many people try to ignore hearing loss, leading to problems at work and depression. Experts urge that young adults, especially those in high-risk groups, be screened early for hearing loss. (More deaf people stories.)