May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

During this time of Coronavirus, focusing on anything else can seem overwhelming and simply not doable. That’s fine for most things, but your health is one thing that you really should not overlook. With May as Better Hearing & Speech Month, it’s our duty to help you understand the importance of good hearing healthcare.

Did you know that nearly 50 million people in the United States have trouble hearing in some capacity with one or both ears? According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “More than four of five U.S. adults, aged 18 years or older (81.8%), reported never or seldom wearing a hearing protection device (HPD) when attending a loud athletic or entertainment event. The majority who never or seldom wore HPDs at these types of events were female (54.4%), non-Hispanic white (65.1%) or lived in a metropolitan area (86.5%). Adults who were more likely to wear an HPD (most of the time or always) at a loud athletic or entertainment event had at least some college education (63.8%) and had household incomes of ≥$75,000 (49.1%).”

Facts from Hearing Loss Association of America

In fact, being around too much excessive, loud noise can make you lose your hearing. What many people do not realize is that one your hearing is gone you cannot get it back! Hearing aids only work with the hearing abilities you have left, they do not restore hearing capabilities that have been lost.

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), “5 in 10 young people listen to their music or other audio too loudly and for too long a time. If you have listened to your device at high volume with headphones for five minutes or more, you have caused permanent hearing damage. 4 in 10 young people are around dangerously loud noises during events like concerts and sports games, and 48 million people in the U.S. have trouble hearing with one (or both) of their ears.”

Better Hearing and Speech Month Encourages Hearing Health Awareness

The good news? There are simple steps you can take to protect your hearing and still do the things you love! Avoiding loud noises when possible, turning the volume down, and wearing ear protection are all easy ways to help keep your ears healthy.

Listen consciously. This means turning down the volume in your headphones and making an effort to stay away from prolonged loud noises without wearing hearing protection devices, such as earplugs.

Interactive Hearing Healthcare Info Graphic from the CDC is very helpful for understanding how loud noise impacts your hearing healthcare. By picking a type of sound, you can see for yourself the dB level and get tips to keep your ears safe around noises that may be harmful to your hearing healthcare.

Meet Physicians Hearing Solutions, Rhode Island’s Hearing Healthcare Choice

If you reside in Rhode Island, or the surrounding areas, it is likely you have heard of Physicians Hearing Solutions. Our practice is committed to working together to bring the most quality hearing healthcare to our patients in order to achieve our overall goal of improving all of our patients with an increased quality of life. To fulfill this mission, we are committed to earning the trust and respect of all of our patients, through providing professionalism; ensuring a creative, challenging, and compassionate professional environment; exceeding your expectations; listening to those we are privileged to serve; and always striving for continuous improvement at all levels.

Located in East Providence and Warwick, Rhode Island, our team of licensed hearing healthcare professionals are here to help you keep your hearing capabilities, as well as working to improve the hearing capabilities of those who have lost a portion of their hearing. Call our offices today to schedule an appointment for a free hearing screening (401) 921-0181 or find us online at www.PHSDOCS.com.