Just how good is your hearing? Considering that 20% of Americans have some degree of hearing loss, it may not be as strong as you think. In honor of Better Speech and Hearing Month in May, here are a few facts about our hearing—and how you can take better care of this important sense.
- One out of three people has hearing loss by age 65, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. That goes up to 2 in 3 by age 75.
- Eighty percent of people who could benefit from a hearing aid don’t wear one.
- Tinnitus, which is a ringing in the ears, affects 50 million Americans.
- After arthritis and heart disease, hearing loss is the biggest health issue reported by older adults.
Better Hearing and Speech Month was started by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to raise awareness about communication disorders, treatments, and research that can improve the lives of those with hearing loss or with voice, speech, or language disorders.
With hearing such an important part of our lives, here are some ways you can protect and maintain yours:
1. Assess your hearing. The following federal government website has a quick interactive quiz on the right side of the page to assess your need for a hearing check.
2. Go for regular hearing exams. You get your eyes and teeth checked regularly, right? Hearing exams are also important. The Association of Independent Hearing Professionals recommends exams every five years from age 18 to 45, every three years from age 45 to 60, and every two years from age 60 and up.
3. Wear hearing protection when you’re in loud situations. Basically, if you have to yell to be heard, the sounds are loud enough to damage your hearing.
4. Don’t smoke. You know that smoking isn’t good for your overall health, but did you know that it can also damage your hearing? There’s yet another reason to not light up. Some chronic diseases like diabetes also affect hearing.
5. Watch out—or listen up—for symptoms of hearing loss. These can the need to frequently ask people to repeat what they said, fatigue at the end of the day from straining to hear, and avoiding social situations because they are too noisy, according to the University of California San Francisco. If in doubt, see your primary care doctor and ask if you need an audiologist exam.
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