May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

Did you know that May is Better Hearing and Speech Month?

According to the World Health Organization’s first World Report on Hearing:

• Noise is now being acknowledged as an important public health issue and a top environmental risk faced by the world today.

• Over 50% of people aged 12–35 years listen to music via personal audio devices at volumes that pose a risk to their hearing.

• A rule of the thumb for staying safe is to keep the volume below 60%.

• If you frequently use personal audio devices around loud sounds: instead of turning the volume up, consider using noise cancelling earphones or headphones.

• Listening through personal audio devices should not exceed 80 dB (adults) or 75 dB (sensitive users: e.g., children) for 40 hours a week.

• Listeners who regularly use portable audio devices can expose themselves to the same level of sound in 15 minutes of music at 100 dB that an industrial worker would receive in an 8-hour day at 85 dB.

Signs of Hearing Loss: There are many signs or symptoms that you or someone you know may have hearing loss.

• Have people told you that your TV or radio is too loud?

• Are you finding it more difficult to understand conversations, especially if several people are talking at once or if there is background noise?

• Are you finding that you often have to ask people to repeat themselves more than once?

• Or, maybe you have trouble hearing over the motor and wind sounds while driving in your car.

Surveys indicate that the average adult will wait 6-12 years before seeking help for their hearing.

Early intervention is key. To schedule a hearing consultation with a Sonus hearing care professional, call us at (888) 574-6776 or request an appointment here!