Better Hearing and Speech Month

By W.L. “Hunter” Huntley, III, HAS., BC-HIS

The month of May is designated as National Better Hearing and Speech month since 1927. Better Hearing and Speech month is to raise awareness of one of our nations leading handicapping disabilities: hearing loss; affecting almost 40 million citizens in this country alone.

According to Johns Hopkins’s Medical University, The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and The National Institute on Aging, even a mild loss of hearing (untreated) can make individuals twice as likely to develop some form of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. People with severe hearing problems (untreated) are five times more likely to develop the aforementioned maladies due to brain atrophy. Since brain atrophy is the damage or loss of brain cells, there is no treatment available to cure this complication after the fact. This means that the illness must be prevented with the use of hearing instruments and a healthy and active lifestyle. As of now, this is the only option to slow the damage and improve physical ability that is hindered by brain atrophy.

This shows another reason why hearing loss should not be overlooked. Hearing exams should be part of annual physicals, just like having your vision checked on a regular basis.

Hearing devices have improved vastly even in the last few years. Digital technology now allows each hearing device to be “prescription fit” with computer chips  for  each  individual’s unique hearing problem. The devices can also be reprogrammed as hearing declines over time to compensate for the inevitable further loss of hearing.

If you or a loved one find yourself having difficulty understanding speech or comprehending conversations, call today 239-997-8288 for a FREE hearing consultation and examination.