Better Hearing and Speech Month

May was Better Hearing and Speech Month. It was an opportunity for the hearing health profession to stress the importance of healthy listening practices. Time for you to consider a hearing test.

Some Ear Stats

Check out the numbers to see if you fit the profile.

• 50% of adults with hearing loss have never even been tested.
  
  
• 32.5 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss.
  
  
• Two out of every 1,000 newborns experience deafness or hearing impairment at birth.
  
  
• 22 million Americans have hearing loss caused by exposure to loud sounds thanks to ear buds, headphones, those humongous sub-woofers in cars and the general noise in which most of us live each day. Its a noisy world.
  
  
• Only 20% of individuals who would benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one.

Signs and Symptoms

Hearing loss is one of the mostly commonly unaddressed health concerns in America. The signs of hearing loss can be subtle and occur slowly over time for most people. For others they can be sudden and significant. In either case, as hearing loss progresses so does the impact it has on a persons quality of life. It is important to know the signs and symptoms of hearing loss to ensure you are treated as soon as possible to preserve your quality of life. Common signs and symptoms may include but are not limited to:

• Asking for frequent repetition in a conversation
  
• Have difficulty following a conversation in a group setting
  
• Have trouble hearing chidren and womens voices
  
• Have the radio or TV turned up higher than usual
  
• Have ringing in the ears
  
• Are you beginning to withdrawal from social situations
  
• Become frustrated when communication with others in background noise
  
• Have a family history of hearing loss
  
• Have been exposed to loud noises in your lifetime

Lets Get Serious About Hearing Loss

A loss of hearing is a quality of life issue. If your vision deteriorates you get glasses. If your hearing goes downhill, you get a hearing device. And FYI, todays hearing aids are sleek, thinking computers that adapt to your hearing preferences and needs.

Thanks to digital technology, hearing aid design is light years ahead of where we were just 15 years ago.

Hearing Aid Tax Credit

Lets face it, hearing aids are expensive. And the government is thinking about giving us a break on our taxes if we buy them. . H.R. 2329/S. 1410 legislation would provide up to a $1000 tax credit for two hearing aids. The BHI, in collaboration with the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), has developed a website dedicated to assist consumers in learning more about this legislation and how to ensure this important legislation is passed by our government. The tax credit would assist millions of Americans in purchasing the necessary devices to help them with hearing loss and regain quality of life. For more information please visit: www.hearingaidtaxcredit.org.

Take action with your hearing and if you take care of your ears, you can hear for miles and miles and miles.

Like what you’re reading? Visit HealthyHearing for a full featured article on MAY IS BETTER HEARING AND SPEECH MONTH. Did You Hear That?