May Is Better Hearing and Speech Month
FRANKFORT, Ky. (May 8, 2024) — With approximately 700,000 Kentuckians of all ages experiencing some degree of hearing loss, Gov. Andy Beshear and the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing are encouraging people to learn the signs of hearing loss and to seek care during Better Hearing and Speech Month in May.
“Thousands of Kentuckians of all ages are affected by hearing loss, but many do not recognize the signs because it often happens gradually over time from aging, ongoing exposure to loud noises or a variety of other reasons,” said Gov. Beshear. “May is a great time to make an appointment to have a professional check your hearing while also taking proactive steps to protect yourself and those you love from loud noises that can cause preventable hearing loss.”
Signs of hearing loss in adults include:
- Difficulty following conversations;
- Difficulty hearing in noisy environments;
- Ringing, roaring or beeping in one or both ears;
- Failure to respond to spoken words;
- Muffled hearing;
- Constant frustration hearing speech and other sounds; and
- Avoidance of conversation.
If you or a loved one are experiencing any of these signs, or if you think you have hearing loss, see your doctor or a licensed audiologist to assess the degree of your hearing loss, treat it and develop a plan to prevent further loss.
“People often wait years to seek treatment for a hearing loss or never get it checked by a professional,” said Anita Dowd, executive director of the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. “It’s important to get your hearing regularly checked, because untreated hearing loss can affect people in a variety of ways including mental health issues, career difficulties and personal relationship problems, and cognitive decline, including the earlier onset of dementia.”
Dowd also encourages parents to monitor their children for hearing loss and to protect their hearing from loud noises, such as high-volume music, particularly from using earbuds at an unsafe level. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, 12.5% of children and young adults ages 6 to 19 have hearing loss as the result of using earbuds at unsafe volumes. It is important to catch and treat hearing loss in children as early as possible because it can lead to delays in speech and language, as well as social and emotional development and other learning difficulties.
For more information, visit the Kentucky Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing website here.
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