Nearly 466 million people worldwide are estimated to be living with hearing loss, according to the World Health Organization. The WHO also predicts this number to climb to 900 million by 2050.
To raise awareness about global hearing loss and the importance of hearing health care, the WHO has designated March 3 as World Hearing Day.
âHearing loss is a complex condition and has a variety of causes - exposure to hazardous noise, genetic conditions, or complication of other diseases such as measles and mumps,â Dr. Theresa Schulz, prevention division chief for the Department of Defense Hearing Center of Excellence, a division within the Defense Health Agencyâs Research and Development Directorate, said.