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It’s the new year, and we always start it off fresh and strong. We de-clutter and clean closets, we go to the gym, we vow to stay connected to those best friends that have moved away and we schedule the medical exams we may dread like mammograms or colonoscopies. We visit the dentist and the eye doctor. Would it surprise you that more people schedule colonoscopies than annual hearing tests? Since your hearing health is so important, it’s time to put a hearing test at Professional Hearing Services on your annual to-do list.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
- About 22 million Americans, or about 22%, are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work. But you can also suffer hearing loss from exposure to excessive noise levels at rock concerts, sporting events and the gun range.
- Almost 13% of American children between the age of 6 and 19 have had their hearing permanently damaged from over exposure to loud noise. Baby boomers had their loud rock concerts, and millennials are losing their hearing due to constant loud volumes on their personal electronic devices.
- About 14% of American adults between the ages of 45 and 64 have some type of hearing loss. Almost 40% of American adults over the age of 65 have hearing loss and among adults age 75 or more, two-thirds have hearing loss.
People with hearing loss wait between 5 and 10 years before they seek help. Sadly, the longer your brain goes without hearing all the sounds around you, the less likely it is to recover when hearing devices are used. Only 1 in five people who would benefit from hearing aids use them, and an estimated 50 million Americans experience tinnitus or ringing in the ears.
Negative Impact of Untreated Hearing Loss
Untreated hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America, negatively impacts nearly every dimension of the human experience including physical, emotional, and mental health, social skills, family relationships, self-esteem, and work and school performance. Untreated hearing loss has been linked to increase risks of diabetes, stroke, falls, hypertension, sleep apnea and early on-set dementia. Individuals dealing with untreated hearing loss typically begin to isolate themselves from family and friends because that is easier than dealing with the frustration of not being able to hear or comprehend what someone is saying. Not exercising the brain by listening and understanding leads to the atrophy of cognitive functions and that leads to dementia.
Do You Have Hearing Loss?
Ask yourself the following questions:
Are you turning up the volume on the television louder than others find comfortable? Are you having trouble hearing during phone conversations? Does speech sound muffled? Is it difficult participating in a conversation in a crowded environment? Is it hard to hear a dinner companion or the server at a noisy restaurant? Is it easier to hear someone if you are standing directly in front of them? Is it difficult to tell which direction a sound is coming from? Have family or friends mentioned that you seem hard of hearing? Are you having difficulty understanding children or people with high-pitched voices?
If you answered yes to two or more of these questions, you have hearing loss, and need to schedule a hearing test as soon as possible.
Get a Hearing Test
An annual hearing test sets a baseline for you on where your hearing is. It can give you peace of mind or show you that you may be experiencing hearing loss. Our team at Professional Hearing Services will test what frequencies you are hearing, determine what you can hear at a soft volume or at a normal volume, and will suggest the best treatment options.
Don’t be that person who has hearing loss and doesn’t get it treated. You get eyeglasses to correct your vision, and you should definitely get hearing aids to correct your hearing! You will be amazed at what hearing aids can do. You can get a model that is practically invisible or is truly invisible because it nestles in your ear canal. You can test drive the model you choose to make sure it works for you, so don’t delay. Schedule that annual hearing test today at Professional Hearing Services.
