May is National Better Hearing Month. Here are our Top 10 reasons to get your hearing checked annually:
- Money. The Better Hearing Institute has found that people with untreated hearing loss lose as much as $30,000 in income annually, depending on their degree of hearing loss; that the aggregate yearly loss in income due to underemployment for people with untreated hearing loss is an estimated $176 billion
- Falls: A recent study, funded by the National Institutes of Health and published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that hearing loss is linked to a three-fold risk of falling among working-aged people (40 to 69) with mild hearing loss.
- Emotional Health: Numerous studies have linked untreated hearing loss to a wide range of physical and emotional conditions, including impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks, reduced alertness, increased risk of personal safety, irritability, negativism, anger, fatigue, tension, stress, depression, and diminished psychological and overall health. But the vast majority of people with hearing loss can benefit from hearing aids.
- Hearing Loss Linked to Dementia: A recent study by researchers at Johns Hopkins and the National Institute on Aging has found that adults with hearing loss are significantly more likely than adults with normal hearing to develop dementia. The study also concluded that the greater the hearing loss, the higher the risk.
- Hearing Loss Linked with Diabetes in Women: A recent study has found a significant link between hearing loss and diabetes in women. If you are a female diabetic, recommendations are now for yearly hearing and vision exams.
- Heart Health and Hearing: Three recent studies have linked heart problems with hearing loss. If you suffer from any form of cardiovascular disease, you should have a yearly exam, as heart conditions may adversely affect your hearing.
- 1 in 5 over the age of 12 now have hearing loss: Hearing loss affects about one-fifth of Americans aged 12 and older, a far higher number than previously believed, researchers report.
- Ignoring a hearing loss could make it worse: If you or someone you love is experiencing untreated hearing loss, realize that waiting longer is going to actually worsen your problem.
- Better Hearing Aid Fit: If you wear hearing aids, coming in to have your hearing checked and your hearing aids adjusted to the change is part of the service that you paid for in our office. We want you hearing as well as possible!
- We Love to See You! Schedule your annual exam today! Call our office at 801-770-0801 to make an appointment.