Recent studies have showed that hearing loss is becoming more prevalent in young demographics, and that includes many in the Pittsburg area.
"I don't think there is any question that we are seeing more and more young people -- from children to young adults -- come in looking for hearing screening," Dennis Cory, owner of Miracle-Ear Service Center in Pittsburg, said.
Cory said several factors could be involved, but cites noise exposure as one of the biggest threats. Personal entertainment devices, cell phones, exposure to higher decibels of ambient noise are having an impact on hearing loss.
A recent John Hopkins study argued that hearing loss nationwide was more widespread than previously believed, with an estimated 55 million Americans having hearing loss in one or both ears, with men, white and the least-educated most affected. The study estimated that 8.5 percent of people age 20 to 29 have some level of hearing loss.
Studies also are showing that the problem is being left untreated and it could have a serious impact on a young person's ability to learn. The Better Hearing Institute released a study earlier this year that states that nearly 1.5 million young people under the age of 21 have hearing loss that could be helped by amplification.
"Children need to be able to hear, not just in the classroom, but also because hearing affects language competence, cognitive development, social and emotional well-being, and academic achievement," Dr. Sergei Kochkin, executive director of BHI, said. "Children who cannot hear well -- that is, when their hearing loss is untreated or under-treated -- could face a life of underperformance and broken dreams."
A large part of the problem is that many parents today either don't recognize their child's hearing problem, minimize it, or have been given misinformation regarding the ability to treat the child's hearing loss. In fact, at least 50 percent of parents don't go back for detailed testing when their infant fails initial hearing screening.
"'I think it's critical that parents take their children for regular hearing screening, particularly with the level of impact we're seeing with the use of headphones and other devices," Cory said.
Key findings from the BHI study include:
• Only 12 percent of children under the age of 18 with hearing loss use hearing aids; yet an estimated 1.5 million youth under the age of 21 have hearing loss that may be improved with amplification.
