National Better Speech and Hearing Month

Welcome to the first of several May Monthly celebration posts! Today’s theme is National Better Speech and Hearing Month. The purpose of National Better Speech and Hearing Month is to “raise awareness about communication disorders and to promote treatment that can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems with speaking, understanding, or hearing.” It was founded 75 years ago. Speech and hearing impairments affect many individuals, ranging from young kids to the elderly, and all walks of life in between! According to the “The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders reports that approximately 43,000,000 people in the United States suffer from a speech, voice, language, or hearing impairment.” Some signs that you might be experiencing hearing loss include:

• frequently ask people to repeat themselves

• often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better

• understand people better when you wear your glasses or look directly at their faces

• lose your place in group conversations

• keep the volume on your radio or TV at a level that others say is too loud

• have pain or ringing in your ears

If you experience any of these signs, you should probably contact a specialist or your family doctor to learn more.