Arizona Edition - May is national hearing and speech month.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, or (NIDCD) says approximately 17 percent, or 36 million, American adults report some degree of hearing loss. Approximately 15 percent (26 million) of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 have high frequency hearing loss due to exposure to loud sounds or noise at work or in leisure activities.
And the problem gets worse as we age. 18 percent of American adults 45-64 years old, 30 percent of adults 65-74 years old, and 47 percent of adults 75 years old or older have a hearing loss. And only 1 in 5 Americans who could benefit from a hearing aid actually wear one.
Sherry Applebee, chair for the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing says people often take their hearing for granted and don’t even know their losing it…(originally aired 05/07/14).
If you’d like to check your hearing, the National Institutes of Health has developed the National Hearing Test you can take over the phone.
Call 1-866-223-7575 and follow the directions provided. The test, a not-for-profit project available to anyone, takes about 10 minutes and regularly costs $8. Learn more about the National Hearing Test at nationalhearingtest.org.
This piece was featured in the May 7th Arizona Edition. Other pieces featured in the show can be found below in the related content section.
