听觉是人们获取信息和与外界交流的又一重要途径，但它常随年龄的增大而逐渐减退，故必须关注中老年人的听力状况。最近有文献报告，全美约有2700万年龄达到或大于50岁的美国成人之听力均存在着不同程度的受损或减退（hearing loss），但他们的大多数并未采取适当的措施（如配戴助听器～hearing aids）以矫正自身的听力。之所以出现这一“尽管存在听力受损，但并未进行矫正治疗＂的现状，主要原因：一是不少人包括医务工作者都认为随着年龄增加的听力减退是一种正常的衰老过程而无“药”可医；二则与经济因素有关。事实上，专家们认为“通过详细的检查后配戴助听装置可以在相当程度上改善这一部分听力减退之中老年人的听力，进而有利于改善他们的生活质量和预防老年痴呆等”。

Millions of Americans Have Untreated Hearing Loss: Study

Many people think the condition is inevitable and not a major concern, study finds

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- About 27 million Americans aged 50 and older have lost some of their hearing and could benefit from a hearing aid, a new study finds.

However, many people don't get hearing aids because they're often not covered by insurance, they don't receive training in integrating hearing aids into their daily lives, or they consider hearing loss an inevitable part of aging and not a major concern, according to the researchers.

"There's still a perception among the public and many medical professionals that hearing loss is an inconsequential part of the aging process and you can't do anything about it," said study senior author Dr. Frank Lin, an assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a university news release. "We want to turn that idea around."

The study is published online Feb. 13 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

The researchers examined information on hearing aid use and hearing testing among participants of the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys conducted between 1999 and 2006.

About 14 percent of people aged 50 and older use hearing aids. That ranged from 4 percent of 50- to 59-year-olds to 22 percent of people aged 80 and older.

Although more people used hearing aids as they got older, the study's authors suggested 23 million more people could benefit from hearing aids if they used them.

"Understanding current rates of hearing loss treatment is important, as evidence is beginning to surface that hearing loss is associated with poorer cognitive functioning and the risk of dementia," Lin said. "Previous studies that have attempted to estimate hearing-aid use have relied on industry marketing data or focused on specific groups that don't represent a true sample of the United States population."

SOURCE: Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, news release, Feb. 13, 2012