May is no longer Better Hearing Month

Authored by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition

May used to be known as Better Hearing Month. Now the name has been changed to National Speech-Language-Hearing Month. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, still referred to as ASHA from its previous name without mentioning language, is also celebrating its centennial. ASHA states that the month provides “an opportunity to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role of ASHA members in providing life-altering treatment.”

Some ASHA members are audiologists, professionals who diagnose and treat hearing loss, tinnitus and occasionally deal with balance disorders. The only current treatment for hearing loss in adults is hearing aids, with cochlear implantation reserved for the profoundly hearing impaired. Coverage for adult hearing health care is limited in both commercial and government-sponsored health insurance programs, and hearing aids are rarely included.

Photo credit: cottonbro studio

Increasing awareness of the importance of communication disorders is a good thing. Hearing loss has been associated with many conditions, including falls, accidents, loneliness and dementia. Treatment of hearing loss with hearing aids is being studied to see if better hearing can delay or prevent the onset of dementia. The results so far are promising but not conclusive.

My interest is in prevention of noise-induced hearing loss and two other disorders often caused by excessive noise exposure, tinnitus and hyperacusis. Prevention of these disorders is simple and inexpensive: turn down the volume, leave the noisy environment or use hearing protection and your ears should last a lifetime.