May is National Better Hearing and Speech Month

May is National Better Hearing and Speech Month:  Celebrate with a hearing exam this year

Since 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has celebrated Better Hearing and Speech Month each May to raise public awareness of speech and language disorders that affect 14 million Americans.

I was fortunate enough to accept a proclamation recognizing this important awareness month from Mayor Michael Gresk at the May 7th City of Wheaton Board meeting.  I reminded the board that annual hearing exams should be a part of any health screening starting at age 50. 

How do you know if you should get a hearing exam? Here are 10 signs that you may benefit from a hearing exam:

1. You frequently complain that people mumble, speech is not clear, or you hear only parts of conversations when people are talking.
2. Your friends or relatives tell you that you don't seem to hear very well.
3. You do not laugh at jokes because you miss too much of the story.
4. Others say that you play the TV or radio too loudly.
5. You cannot hear the doorbell or the telephone.
6. You find that looking at people when they talk to you makes it somewhat easier to understand, especially when you're in a noisy place or where there are competing conversations.
7. You have a family history of hearing loss.
8. You have diabetes, heart, circulation or thyroid problems.
9. You have been exposed to very loud sounds over a long period or single exposure to explosive noise.
10. You have ringing in your ears.

For more information, visit my website at www.thehearingdoctors.com or call us at 630-752-9505.