It’s that time of year again — Hearing Loss Association of America’s (HLAA) annual Walk4Hearing in New York City! This will be my third year walking. Like last year, my family and I will also be Walk volunteers, arriving early to help set up and to man the registration tables. It is a great way to get the whole family involved.
Walk4Hearing is one of my favorite advocacy events of the year. To find or support a walk near you, click here.
Walking home yesterday, I almost stepped on a hearing aid. It was lying in the center of the sidewalk, deserted. I zigged quickly to avoid flattening it with my heel and stopped dead in my tracks. My heart sank, crushed for the person who would soon find his lifeline missing. I imagined the panic and chagrin when he noticed it was gone, the self loathing for losing something so important, and the despair at having to find the funds for a new one. Hearing aids are incredibly expensive. I was as devastated as if it was my own hearing aid that had been lost.
I am proud to share my hearing loss story and tips on Mango Health.
About 50 million people in the United States have hearing loss. This includes 1 in 5 teenagers and 60% of returning veterans from foreign wars. But noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable. Hearing health advocate Shari Eberts recommends three simple steps to protect your own ears as well as those of your loved ones.
Noise-induced hearing loss is a pervasive problem, and one that is spreading due to increasing noise pollution. This isn’t only in cities, but also in small towns, too. At our restaurants, sporting events, and concert halls. Even at our schools. I was horrified to clock my daughter’s elementary school talent show at 90 decibels a few years ago, well above safe listening levels.
A 2011-2012 CDC study found that 24 percent of adults (aged 20-69) in the United States may have some degree of noise-induced hearing loss. Researchers also estimate as many as 17% of teens (aged 12-19) may have noise-induced hearing loss in one or both ears. It is a growing problem, and one that deserves our attention.
The good news is that most noise-induced hearing loss is 100% preventable. Here are three safety precautions I recommend for you and your loved ones:
Click here to continue reading on Mango Health.
A few weeks ago I attended HLAA’s annual convention. It is always a treat. Several days of hearing accessible workshops, learning about new products available for people with hearing loss in the exhibition hall, and just plain fun, hanging out with my hearing loss friends. It is a great mix of people — some with more severe hearing issues, some with less, but each has something to teach me in terms of coping skills and tricks of the trade. And simply friendship. I can’t wait for next year.
Thank you to Rayovac Hearing Aid Batteries for sponsoring my participation in this hearing mission. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own. To read my other post about this mission, click here.
My advocacy work typically takes the form of writing or speaking. I focus on breaking down barriers for people with hearing loss, crushing stigma and promoting self-advocacy. I want people to live their best lives despite struggling with hearing loss and tinnitus. But I had never given the gift of hearing itself, until recently.
Rayovac Hearing Aid Batteries invited me to participate in a Starkey Hearing Foundation mission to Dominica. Rayovac supplies all the batteries for these missions. I was there as a hearing health advocate, volunteer, and writer, with the goal of capturing the mission experience in words. I thank Rayovac for this memorable opportunity.
