Posts Tagged ‘hearing loss statistics’

An article in last week’s Thousand Oaks Acorn gets right to the point: baby boomers don’t have to put up with hearing loss. The article discusses the practical steps baby boomers can take if they’re suffering from a hearing impairment and would like to improve their hearing health.

The article also points out the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders’ statistic: hearing loss affects nearly 36 million people, which is 17 percent of American adults. Additionally, the article mentions recent results from an Energizer survey that polled baby boomers who suffer from hearing loss as well as adult children with parents who suffer from hearing loss. The results found that 45 percent of adult children who participated in the survey said that their parent’s hearing loss has effected their relationship with the parent. Thirty-six percent of those said that their parent “has missed important details about their life.”

So the survey results no doubt show that hearing loss can have an impact on relationships, so the question is, why do so many people suffering from hearing loss take no action to correct it? As the article points out, it’s not because baby boomers are unaware of their hearing loss — the Energizer survey results showed that 72 percent of baby boomers surveyed said that their hearing loss had affected their relationship with their adult children. Still, just 11 percent of them wear hearing aids.

Hearing loss and its impact on relationships is something extremely important to consider for those who are suffering from hearing loss. It’s easy to ignore it, but getting help to correct it can seriously improve a person’s life. Getting hearing aids to hear sounds loud and clear again can help a person participate in conversations with friends and family.

Dr. Bary Williams, an audiologist and Energizer Specialty “All Ears” spokesperson who is quoted in the article, suggests annual medical and hearing screenings. He notes that baby boomers don’t think twice about taking care of their vision and wearing glasses or contacts, but they seem to ignore hearing loss. But to maintain a high quality of life, people need to take care of both their vision and hearing.

Get Help for Your Hearing Loss

Dr. Williams recommends going to a basic hearing screening to test your hearing, as these are typically offered for very little cost. At Hearing Aid Express, we actually offer free hearing evaluations — and there’s no pressure to buy hearing aids. The doctor also says to embrace technology. “Today’s hearing devices are both discreet and effective,” he says in the article.

If you have any questions about hearing loss or hearing aids, please feel free to contact Hearing Aid Express.