Sunday Morning

Guide to hearing aids

August 25, 2018 / 12:24 PM EDT / CBS News

Roughly 40 million adults in the U.S. suffer from some hearing loss, and researchers at Johns Hopkins recently determined that the rates may nearly double by the year 2060. And yet, according to Dr. Frank Lin, director of the Cochlear Center for Hearing and Public Health at Johns Hopkins, only about 20% of adults who have hearing loss actually use a hearing aid, due to cost (the majority of insurance companies don't cover hearing aids), medical consultations needed, or embarrassment over wearing them.

But hearing aids have gotten smaller over the decades, technology has improved, and when the recently-signed Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act goes into effect, consumers will have new ways to access devices aimed at improving their hearing.

What's causing hearing loss for millions of Americans? (CBS News, 02/08/17)
Hearing loss may double in the U.S. by 2060, study warns (CBS News, 03/02/17)
Hearing aids sans prescription: Earbuds marketed as audio enhancing alternatives ("CBS This Morning," 09/01/17)

Information on Hearing Loss

Hearing Loss Association of America
Hearing loss symptoms and causes (from the Mayo Clinic)
Hearing loss: A common problem for older adults (from National Institute on Aging)
Hearing loss and older adults (from National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders)
Hearing loss (from WebMD)
Hearing disorders and deafness (from NIH/U.S. National Library of Medicine)
Hearing loss in children (from Centers for Disease Control and PreventIon)
What is tinnitus? (from American Academy of Otolyaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery)

Testing 1, 2, 3 ...

Want to get your hearing checked? Find an audiologist near you with the American Academy of Audiology's directory:

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Technology

About hearing aid devices (from Hearing Loss Association of America)
Cochlear implants and other implantable devices (from Hearing Loss Association of America)

Hearing Aid Brand Websites:

Information on Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs)

Can PSAPs Help Your Hearing? (from Consumer Reports)
PSAP: Personal Sound Amplification (from AARP)

PSAP Brand Websites: