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New Study Finds One-Fifth Of Americans Older Than 12 Have Some Hearing Loss

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- If you're having trouble hearing, you're not alone.

A new study finds that one-fifth of Americans 12 or older have some hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sounds, poor health or just as a result of getting older. Dr. Thomas Willcox is an associate professor of otolaryngology at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

"By the time you reach 65, over 40-percent of people have some degree of hearing loss. By the time you reach 75, it's more than 50-percent. By the time you reach 85, it's more than 60 percent," Dr. Willcox says.

He also says there are a lot of devices that will help, so if you're missing parts of conversations or have been told by others that you need your hearing checked, you probably do.

Reported by Lynne Adkins, KYW Newsradio

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