Facts About Hearing Loss
Hearing loss affects approximately 36 million Americans.
More than half of those with hearing loss are under the age of 65.
Untreated hearing loss can impair your ability to understand speech and have a negative impact on your social and professional life. Emotional well-being—hearing loss can reduce your quality of life!
In the United States, hearing loss is the third most common health problem.
Signs of hearing loss include:
Hearing people speak in noisy environments such as a restaurant, shopping mall, car, or movie theater.
People always appear to "mumble."
When speaking with you, family, friends, or colleagues frequently have to repeat themselves.
When people are not facing you or are in another room, you have difficulty hearing them.
You have difficulty following conversations.
You can hear ringing, buzzing, or hissing in your ears.
What factors contribute to hearing loss?
Excessive loud noise exposure.
Ear infections, trauma, or disease are all possibilities.
Contact with a foreign object (cotton swabs, bobby pins, etc.) causes damage to the inner ear and ear drum.
Illness or specific medications
Hearing loss as a result of the natural aging process
How to protect your hearing:
Wear hearing protection when exposed to sounds louder than 85 decibels for an extended period of time. There are various types of hearing protection available, including foam earplugs, earmuffs, and custom hearing protection devices. Custom hearing protection devices are available from your local audiologist.
When listening to the radio, TV, MP3 player, or anything else through ear buds and headphones, reduce the volume. (Go to www.TurnItToTheLeft.com)
Take a step away from the noise.
And, aside from hearing protection, never put anything in your ear!
