May is National Better Hearing and Speech Month

May is National Better Hearing and Speech Month!  The John W Keys Speech and Hearing Center encourages you to take this opportunity to make an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing test to help ensure that you continue to hear the sounds that matter to you throughout your life.

Hearing loss impacts a large number of Americans.  According to a 2016 study by the National Institutes of Health, approximately 15 percent (37.5 million) of American adults aged 20 to 69 have some trouble with hearing and approximately 28.8 million could benefit from the use of hearing aids. As the baby boomer population ages, more Americans face hearing health challenges.

While age is still the greatest factor in hearing loss, many younger people also experience hearing difficulty due to exposure to loud music and noises including occupational noise. Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30 percent) have used them despite growing evidence that doing so results in better long-term outcomes.

Audiologists are the experts in hearing health. While hearing aids are the most commonly recognized treatment for hearing loss, there are many factors that go into determining the best way to manage changes in hearing. An audiologist is the specialist who is best equipped to determine the underlying reason for the hearing loss and to further determine the appropriate treatment. They also offer custom options for protecting hearing.

Find out what options are right for you by contacting us at (405) 271-2866 or visit us on the web at https://alliedhealth.ouhsc.edu/Keys-Clinic.