A new study suggests that one out of every eight Americans has hearing loss in both ears; one out of every five people have hearing loss in at least one ear. These new national estimates are based on hearing exams between 2001 and 2008 given to approximately 7,500 people age 12 and older.

This study examined participants’ hearing in a soundproof booth at different noise levels. For the purpose of the study, hearing loss was defined as the inability to hear sounds softer than 25 decibels, about the volume of a whisper.Other findings indicate that hearing problems were more common in women than in men, more with whites than blacks. As commonly expected, the study also found that hearing loss increases with age.

Dr. Frank Lin, from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, who worked on the study has also found that poor hearing may be tied to decline in thought processes and memory as age increases, thus having a substantial health impact on people’s lives. Lin commented, “Anybody who thinks they may have hearing loss… it’s definitely worth getting evaluated, and you should definitely consider treating it.”