What are your favorite sounds of autumn? Ours are the crunching of leaves under our feet at Park of Palms, the crackling of a bonfire and the honking of geese flying south for the winter. If you have hearing loss, you could be missing out on these beautiful autumn sounds. Fortunately, October is Audiology Awareness Month, which means there’s no better time to care for your hearing health.
Facts About Hearing Loss
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders compiled this list of facts about hearing loss:
- Approximately two to three of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S. has hearing loss.
- Over 90% of deaf children are born to parents who can hear.
- Around 15% of adults over the age of 18 in the U.S. report some trouble hearing.
- One in eight people over the age of 12 in the U.S. has hearing loss based on standard hearing evaluations.
- Nearly 18% of adults ages 20 to 69 who have worked in noisy occupations have speech frequency hearing loss in both ears, compared to 5.5% for those who have never worked at a noisy job.
- About 2% of adults ages 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss; for those ages 55 to 64 this number jumps to 8.5%; for those ages 65 to 74 this number is 25% and for those ages 75 and older the number is 50%.
- Fewer than 30% of people over age 70 who could benefit from hearing aids has actually worn them. For those ages 20 to 69 this number is closer to 16%.
- Roughly 10% of the U.S. adult population has experienced tinnitus in the past year.
Audiologists Can Help
Audiologists are experts in the auditory system. This means that not only do they diagnose and treat hearing loss, they’re also able to evaluate and manage tinnitus and vestibular (balance) problems.
Audiologists typically hold an undergraduate degree in communication sciences and disorders as well as a Doctor of Audiology (Au.D.) degree from an accredited university. They often obtain other credentials too, including a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC) from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and board certification from the American Academy of Audiology (AAA).
If you’re suffering from hearing loss, tinnitus or a balance disorder, call an expert audiologist. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call Gulf Coast Audiology today.