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Semin Hear 2018; 39(02): 115-122
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1642616
Preface
Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

The Early Intervention of Hearing Loss in Adults

Carole E. Johnson
1   Hearing Evaluation, Rehabilitation, and Outcomes (HERO) Laboratory, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Publication History

Publication Date:
15 June 2018 (online)

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The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders of the National Institutes of Health (NIDCD-NIH) reported that 37.5 million persons or 15% of the American population have some difficulty hearing.[1] The prevalence of hearing loss increases with age, and 2% of persons 45 to 54 years old have significant hearing loss; this increases to 8.5% for those 55 to 65 years old, 25% for those 65 to 74 years old, and 50% for those older than 75 years.[1] Normal hearing for adults has been defined as audiometric thresholds ≤ 20 dB HL for standard audiometric frequencies of 0.25 to 8 kHz. Only about one in five persons with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) seeks help for their problems,[2] [3] and some individuals wait 10 years or more from the time that they first notice a problem communicating before seeking help.[4]

Waiting long periods of time to address SNHL can negatively impact the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of individuals and their families,[5] [6] [7] and it is often associated with social isolation, increased rates of depression and anxiety, and lessened self-efficacy and mastery.[5] Untreated SNHL also is linked to hastened cognitive decline in elderly persons living independently[8] and with global brain atrophy, particularly in the temporal lobe.[9] Possible reasons for persons failing to seek help include limited accessibility to and affordability of hearing health care, particularly for unserved and underserved populations.[10] Ideally, persons with hearing impairment may avoid negative consequences of hearing loss if they seek treatment early, when their losses are mild.

This issue of Seminars in Hearing focuses on the prevention and early diagnosis of and the intervention for slight-to-mild hearing loss in adults from a variety of perspectives. This issue also touches on concepts related to preclinical or hidden hearing losses (HHLs). Authors contributing to this issue report on current research conducted by faculty and students in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders and clinical outreach programs of the John W. Keys Speech and Hearing Center (Allied Health Clinics) at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, OK. The purpose of this preface is to provide readers with some background information that sets the context for the articles in this issue of Seminars in Hearing.