Deaf awareness

How is hearing loss measured?
Hearing loss is measured by finding the quietest sounds someone can hear by using tones with different frequencies, which are heard as different pitches. The person being tested is asked to respond when they can hear a tone – usually by pressing a button – and the level of the tone is adjusted until they can just hear it. This level is called the threshold.
Thresholds are measured in units called dBHL – dB stands for ‘decibels’ and HL stands for ‘hearing level’. Anyone with thresholds between 0 and 20 dBHL across all the frequencies is considered to have ‘normal’ hearing. The greater the threshold level is – in dBHL – the worse the hearing loss.

What are the definitions of different levels of hearing loss?
Mild hearing loss
People with mild hearing loss can have some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy situations. The quietest sounds they can hear average between 25 and 39 decibels.
Moderate hearing loss
People with moderate hearing loss may have difficulty following speech without hearing aids. The quietest sounds they can hear average between 40 and 69 decibels.
Severe hearing loss
People with severe hearing loss rely a lot on lipreading, even with hearing aids. BSL may be their first or preferred language. The quietest sounds they can hear average between 70 and 94 decibels.
Profound deafness
BSL may be the first or preferred language for people who are profoundly deaf, or they might communicate by lipreading. The quietest sounds they can hear average 95 decibels or more.

• Be open: tell the person you’re speaking to that you have a hearing loss.
• Ask people to get your attention before they start talking to you.
• Get a better view: stand
a reasonable distance from the person so you can see their face and lips. Gestures and facial expressions will help you understand what they’re saying.
• If necessary, ask people to slow down and speak more clearly.

• If you don’t catch what someone says, just ask them to say it again or in a different way.
• Keep calm: if you get anxious, you might find it harder to follow what’s being said.
• Play to your strengths: if your hearing is better in one ear, try turning that side towards the person speaking to you.
• Learn to lipread: everyone does it a bit, especially
in noisy places.
• Be kind to yourself! No one hears correctly all the time.

How many people in the UK have some form of hearing loss?
There are more than 10 million people in the UK with some form of hearing loss, or one in six of the population. From the total figure, around 6.4 million are of retirement age (65+) and about 3.7 million are of working age (16 – 64).
From the total number of ten million, more than 800,000 people are severely or profoundly deaf.

Childhood deafness
There are more than 45,000 deaf children in the UK, plus many more who experience temporary deafness due to conditions such as glue ear. Around half of all deaf children are born deaf, and around the same amount acquire deafness during childhood.
At least half of all childhood deafness is inherited. So far scientists have identified 80 genes related to a genetic predisposition to deafness.
Since the introduction of the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella), fewer babies are born deaf as a result of German measles (rubella) during pregnancy – the number of rubella infections in pregnant women fell from 167 in 1987, to one in 2003 (NHS Choices). This drop has been offset by more babies being born deaf from other causes, such as premature birth or lack of oxygen during birth. More babies survive with multiple disabilities than used to be the case

Deafened people
The term ‘deafened’ describes people who have become profoundly deaf in adult life – it is also known as acquired profound hearing loss (APHL). It can happen suddenly or gradually, as a result of trauma, infection or ototoxic drugs (drugs that damage the inner ear or auditory nerve).
There are an estimated 150,000 deafened adults in the UK (Hearing Link – previously the LINK Centre for Deafened People). They often rely heavily on lipreading and written communication. They may require communication support, such as speech-to-text reporters, lipspeakers or notetakers, in situations where lipreading is difficult.

Hearing loss in black and minority ethnic groups
There are no accurate figures available for levels of hearing loss in black and minority ethnic groups. However, there is evidence to suggest that some minority ethnic groups may experience higher levels of hearing loss. This is especially true of recent immigrants from regions with greater levels of poverty, poor healthcare and low levels of immunisation against diseases such as rubella

How do age and gender affect the figures?
Most of the 10 million people in the UK with hearing loss developed it as they get older. Age-related damage to the cochlea is the single biggest cause of hearing loss: 71.1% of over 70 year-olds and 41.7% of over 50 year-olds have some form of hearing loss.
There are 36,000 people aged 16-49 who are severely or profoundly deaf, and total of around 1.15 million with any hearing loss in the same age group. Around the age of 50 the proportion of people with hearing loss begins to increase sharply.
From the age of 40 onwards, a higher proportion of men than women develop hearing loss. This is probably because more men have been exposed to high levels of industrial noise. Among people over the age of 80, more women than men have hearing loss, which is due to women living longer than men on average, not because women are more likely to become deaf.

How many people use hearing aids?
About two million people in the UK have hearing aids, but only 1.4 million use them regularly. Out of the total of ten million people, more than six million (6,138,000) would benefit from hearing aids. This means there are at least another four million people who do not have hearing aids but would benefit from them.
On average it takes ten years for people to address their hearing loss. Even when they do take action, 45% of people with hearing aids say that their GP failed to refer them to an audiologist when they first mentioned their hearing loss.

How many people use sign language?
Many people who are born deaf or are deafened early in life use sign language to communicate. At the moment there are no reliable current figures on how many people in the UK use British Sign Language (BSL) as their first or preferred language, or how many people in Northern Ireland use Irish Sign Language (ISL). However, for the first time a question about sign language was included in the 2011 census. When the results are released, there will be a more accurate picture of how many people use sign language.

How many people have tinnitus?
Tinnitus is the word for noises that some people hear in their ears or in their head – buzzing, ringing, hissing, and other sounds. Many people experience tinnitus at some time in their life, but for the majority it only lasts for a short time. For other people it is permanent, and can be either mild or severe.
About 10% of adults, or six million people, have constant mild tinnitus. Up to 1% of adults (60,000 people) have tinnitus that affects their quality of life. Like hearing loss, the risk of developing tinnitus increases with age. Up to 30% of over 70s experience tinnitus, compared to 12% of people in their 60s and just 1% of people aged under 45.


All information from 
Www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk