When private insurance does pay, it typically covers the cost of an exam to assess hearing loss, and that's about it. The devices are expensive, sometimes costing in the $1,000 to $6,000 range -- and that's per ear.

These occupations are at high risk of hearing loss: Firefighters and other first responders; military personnel; disc jockeys; subway workers; construction workers; musicians; factory workers; mine workers.

Myth: Hearing aids restore hearing to normal just as an eyeglass prescription can restore vision to 20/20. Fact: Hearing aids do not restore hearing to “normal.” Hearing aids do not “cure” your hearing loss, but they provide benefit and improvement in communication.

About 20 percent of Americans, 48 million, report some degree of hearing loss.

Many safety managers provide hearing protectors to their noise-exposed workers with the good intention of stopping noise-induced hearing loss.

When it comes to work-related health problems, many people might think about back issues, respiratory issues or hearing loss.

I just don't understand, "I heard the safety manager lament."

Almost two-thirds of Americans 70 and older suffer from hearing loss ranging from mild to severe, according to what might be the first study to estimate the prevalence of hearing impairment in a nationally representative sample of older adults, The New York Times recently reported.