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The Epidemiology of Deafness
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The Epidemiology of Deafness

Abraham M Sheffield and Richard J H Smith
Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, Vol.9(9), p.a033258
09/03/2019
DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a033258
PMCID: PMC6719589
PMID: 30249598
url
https://doi.org/10.1101/cshperspect.a033258View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Hearing loss is the most common sensory deficit worldwide. It affects ∼5% of the world population, impacts people of all ages, and exacts a significant personal and societal cost. This review presents epidemiological data on hearing loss. We discuss hereditary hearing loss, complex hearing loss with genetic and environmental factors, and hearing loss that is more clearly related to environment. We also discuss the disparity in hearing loss across the world, with more economically developed countries having overall lower rates of hearing loss compared with developing countries, and the opportunity to improve diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of this disorder.

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