From the moment we are born we depend on our hearing. It is the building block of communication and an essential tool to our survival. Yet, as we age, we are confronted with the harsh reality that things just aren’t running as smoothly as they used to. The loss of hearing can be socially debilitating and emotionally painful.
Hearing loss is nothing new in America, although it has been on the rise in recent years. As our country’s largest population segment, baby boomers now make up a huge part of Americans with hearing loss. In fact, 40% of those with hearing problems are under the age of 65. So if you’re experiencing hearing loss, you are certainly not alone.
One out of ten Americans has a hearing loss––that’s more than 31,000,000 people. And 30% of people over the age of 65 have a hearing loss. Yet, the majority of Americans with hearing loss are below retirement age.
As one of our five senses, hearing is vital to who we are as humans. It’s how we communicate. It’s how we take in a large part of the world. It’s how we stay connected.
And staying connected is critical to our emotional, social, mental and physical well-being. You don’t have to go through life disconnected. There are solutions available today to help you reconnect and enjoy life with more ease.
Despite progress, the idea of wearing hearing aids still carries a lot of stigma for some people. They believe that hearing aids make you look older and handicapped. This simply isn’t true.
If hearing instruments help you function more easily, more like a normal hearing person, for all intents, the stigma is removed. Hearing aid manufactures realize that cosmetics are an issue for many people. Today we have hearing devices that fit entirely in the ear canal or blend in so well with your hair or skin, no one will even know you’re wearing them but you!
But keep in mind that an untreated hearing loss is more obvious than hearing aids. Smiling and nodding your head when you don’t understand what’s being said, makes your condition more apparent then the largest hearing aid. Age has nothing to do with hearing loss in this day and age!
Hearing loss can strike anyone at any age. In fact, 3 out of 1000 children are born with hearing loss. Infants can begin to use hearing aids as early as 2–4 months of age.
An alarming 1.4 million children in this country have a hearing loss which affects their ability to learn and do well in school. And a lot of those children live right here in our community. And that has me wanting to share something near and dear with you.