Building Connections | May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

Better Hearing and Speech Month is this month, which makes it an ideal time to discuss your hearing health. The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) dedicates an entire month to raising awareness of communication disabilities, including speech and language disorders and hearing loss. They work relentlessly to minimize the stigma associated with these conditions and to inspire people to seek help. Every year of Better Hearing and Speech Month has a theme. This year's theme is “Building Connections”, a timely topic given how little we've been able to connect with our loved ones over the past year.

Hearing aids help your communication

If you have trouble hearing, you know how difficult it is to communicate. And if the individual repeats themselves a few times, you strain to hear and miss a lot of what is being said, even in the silence of your living room. All of this can be improved with hearing aids. Every connection starts with communication, and hearing aids are the best way to maintain that communication when you have hearing loss. You'll be able to hear every sound clearly with hearing aids, whether you're at home, in the park, or at a crowded restaurant downtown. Not only will you be able to devote more time to your close relationships and social support networks, but you will also feel more self-sufficient and secure in making new connections.

Hearing aids help you in the workplace

Hearing loss affects more than just relationships. Hearing failure that goes untreated puts people's employment and financial stability in jeopardy. According to studies, employees with hearing loss are often passed over for promotions, receive lower pay, and are fired more often than their hearing counterparts. According to one report, people with severe hearing loss make up to $15,000 less a year than people with moderate hearing loss! You will not be able to communicate easily at work or complete your tasks if you have hearing loss. You will also have difficulty focusing or concentrating on tasks if you have hearing loss. Even basic tasks will take longer to complete. Hearing aids help you focus, connect, and be the team player that helps you get you the promotion you deserve.

Hearing aids protect you from damage.

Hearing loss comes with a slew of potential dangers. Have you ever gone for a walk with your earbuds in your ears and nearly walked in front of a speeding car? You're less likely to hear threats in your area, such as traffic, emergency vehicles, or honking if you have hearing loss. You put your safety and the safety of those around you in jeopardy while walking or driving in your neighborhood. Since the equilibrium and balance systems depend on the ear for details about the world around you, those with hearing loss are more vulnerable to slips and falls. Hearing aids help you stay safe by alerting you of incoming dangers. They will also help you maintain your spatial awareness.

Columbus, OH teenager, speaks up on the need for hearing aid health insurance coverage.

Children pick up vocabulary by listening to their surroundings. However, their ability to hear is essential for more than just language development. Their listening abilities significantly impact their ability to learn to read and write and their social skills. Hearing aids are critical for children with hearing loss, and that is what took 13-year-old Alexis Klugo to the Ohio Statehouse last month. Klugo was diagnosed with hearing loss at birth and started using hearing aids at 18 months. Her hearing aids were dubbed her "Magic Ears" by her audiologist. "My Magic Ears keep me safe because I can hear noises like the doorbell, cars coming down the street, the fire alarm, or my mother telling me to clean my bed," Klugo told lawmakers. She was speaking in favor of House Bill 198, which would include up to $2,500 in hearing aid coverage for those under the age of 21 for 48 months. The bill's supporters are optimistic that it will pass.

Visit us for a hearing test today!

Visit our practice for a hearing evaluation if you want to see the difference hearing aids can make. We'll get you fitted for a good pair of hearing aids that suit your lifestyle and needs, teach you how to get the most out of your hearing aids and provide the best in hearing health care.