The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has long designated May as Better Speech and Hearing Month and this year’s theme is “Communication Across the Lifespan.” At Desert Valley Audiology, we are committed to helping you have better hearing throughout all of your life. During Better Speech and Hearing Month, we want to emphasize the importance of regular hearing exams and taking advantage of hearing aids and technology that will improve your life no matter how old you are!
Hearing Loss Statistics in the US
Hearing loss affects newborns as well as adults and in all age levels early intervention and care is often not occurring even though the impacts of untreated hearing loss are quite severe. At Desert Valley, we encourage you to visit us once a year for a hearing evaluation and more often if you feel your hearing is at risk – you’re always welcome!
Most people don’t realize even newborns can have hearing loss. In every 1,000 births, two out of three children will have hearing loss in one or both ears and, almost 15% of children between 6 and 19 have hearing loss in one or both ears. About 15% of American adults – or about 37.5 million – ages 18 and older have reported they have trouble hearing, according to government health surveys.
Hearing screenings are part of the check-ups for newborns, but many times even those that have hearing issues noted in their health records don’t get follow-up care. And adults with hearing loss also don’t get proper care. Only one in seven adults, or approximately 14% of adults over 50 get and use hearing devices even though they have hearing loss and could benefit from them. Oh, what they are missing!
Here’s What to Watch For
For children, proper hearing is vitally important for the proper development of their speech and communication skills. Beginning life with untreated hearing loss leads to a future of academic, personal and social challenges. As an adult, it means career limitations as well as quality of life and health issues.
In children, signs of hearing issue signs to watch for include: lack of attention to sounds, not responding when you call them, not following simple instructions, delays in speech and language development, pulling, scratching or digging in their ears, poor grades especially in reading and math and problems with social isolation at school.
Hearing loss in adults is one of the most chronic health conditions. Sadly, many adults just view it as a nuisance or a natural part of aging. Numerous studies here and abroad show untreated hearing loss significantly affects an adult’s life.
Signs of hearing loss in adults would be ringing or buzzing in the ears, failure to follow a conversation or inappropriate responses, muffled hearing, difficulty processing speech with background noise, avoiding conversations, social isolation and depression.
Untreated hearing loss in adults has been associated with dementia, hypertension, sleep issues, a propensity for falling, a higher incidence of diabetes and, after age 70, a higher mortality rate.
Get Your Hearing Tested with Desert Valley Audiology
At Desert Valley Audiology, we’ve got a long history of giving friendly quality service to those in the Las Vegas and Henderson, Nevada area. We specialize in hearing care for the hearing impaired of all ages. The first step is a painless, private and comprehensive hearing evaluation to determine if you have hearing challenges.
We discuss your lifestyle and expectations and recommend hearing devices that will work for you and for your life goals. New models are small, lightweight and fit directly in the ear or ear canal. The over the ear models are also discreet and they come in a number of fashionable styles and colors. With the new hearing devices, you can stream sound directly from your phone, your iPad, your computer and your television. You can adjust them with your phone or with small remote-control devices. Our team at Desert Valley Audiology is well-versed in the latest technological advancements in hearing aids and we’re ready to fit you with what you need and make sure you are comfortable and they work for you.