We actually hear with our brains, not our ears. Sound waves - literally, waves of compressed air molecules enter the ear and are converted into electrical impulses that travel to the brain. The brain interprets the impulses as the phenomenon we call sound.

Hearing loss can happen for many reasons. Some people may be born with hearing loss while others may lose their hearing slowly over time.

There are diseases, infections and cancers that affect specific parts of the ear and can lead to hearing loss in children and adults. 

Approximately 36 million American adults report some degree of hearing loss.  

Consider these facts: 

• About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born deaf or with hearing loss. 
• Nine out of every 10 children who are born deaf are born to parents who can hear.
  One in three people older than 60 and half of those older than 85 have hearing loss.