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Hearing Loss

Take the One Million Ear Challenge, check your hearing

How do we hear?

  • Become a HEARO for someone you love & help them hear. Research shows most people will agree to an Audiology appointment when they have a partner helping them along the way. You are the gateway to your family's hearing health! Begin by downloading this guide and pamphlet to help your family maintain healthy hearing or get help for hearing loss.

  • Ready to hear life again? Your loved ones, in social settings and to hear the music again? You're ready for our CARE TEAM!
    We are and will continue to be focused on the individual, their story, their needs and affordability. LET US walk you through your hearing journey!

  • Everything you need to know for your Audiology Appointment! Print this guide including questions to consider asking your Audiologist.

  • "I have hearing aids, now what?'
    This is a follow up form to remind our Champions of next steps after their hearing aid fitting with an Audiologist.

  • I think my child has hearing loss ... start HERE.

  • We believe a good, well-designed checklist can help Americans navigate hearing healthcare. We created these checklists to give you a step-by-step guide to checking insurance, booking an appointment and finding the right device to have healthy hearing. Veterans, Normal (help someone else), Mild-to-Moderate or Severe-to-Profound, we've designed it for you.

FACTS ABOUT HEARING LOSS

INFANTS:

  • Newborns should have a hearing screening no later than 1 month of age. Most babies have their hearing screened before they leave the hospital.
  • With 3 of every 1,000 newborns having a hearing loss, it is the most frequently occurring newborn health issue.
  • Early identification and management of hearing loss is vital to their early learning experiences & speech/language development.

CHILDREN:

  • 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the US are born with a detectable hearing loss in one or both ears.
  • Children should have their hearing tested annually.
  • Even a mild hearing loss can cause a child to miss 50 percent of classroom discussion.
  • Almost 15 percent of school-age children (6-19) have some degree of hearing loss.

TEENS:

  • 1 in 5 American teens experience some degree of hearing loss.
  • 80 percent of teens with hearing loss report it is due to loud noise.
  • Teens are vulnerable to hearing loss due to excessive use of portable music/devices & earbuds. Prevention tip: switch to headphones & follow 60/60 Rule where you keep volume 60% of max or lower and listen with earbuds or headphones for no more than 60 minutes per day.

SENIOR CITIZENS:

  • Hearing loss is the third most prevalent health issue in older adults, after arthritis and hearth disease.
  • Hearing loss negatively impacts as aspects of wellness including physical health, emotional & mental health, social skills, family relationship, self-esteem, academic & job performance.

VETERANS:

  • Hearing issues are the most common service-related disabilities among veterans.
  • 2.3 million veterans receive disability compensation or are in treatment for service-related hearing issues.
  • Half of all blast-induced injuries sustained result in hearing loss.

ON THE JOB

  • While people in the workplace with mild hearing loss show little or no drop in income, as hearing loss increases, so does reduction in compensation.
  • More than 30 million Americans are exposed to dangerous levels of noise in their workplace.

TINNITUS

  • Tinnitus is a constant ringing or buzzing in the ear. More often than not, severe tinnitus will accompany hearing loss and may be just as debilitating as the hearing loss itself.
  • About 10-15 percent of adults experience tinnitus.
  • About 50 million people in the US have tinnitus, of which around 12 million seek medical help.
  • 1 in 5 teenagers experience tinnitus.
  • 60 percent of veterans returning from Iraq & Afghanistan have hearing loss and tinnitus.