According to the American Speech-Language and Hearing Association, an estimated 42 million Americans have some type of hearing or speech impairment. Since 1927 Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathologist have touted the month of May as better Hearing and Speech Month on a national scale. This campaign is designed to raise public awareness of the services and treatments of audiologists and speech-language therapists.

A survey administered by the Better Hearing Institute, indicated some 28 million Americans are affected by some hearing impairment. Of these 28 million, only about 20 percent have sought audiologic care. According to the survey, the primary reason for this inaction was a poor understanding of the treatments available to these individuals.

Although some of these impairments are medically cared for (i.e. surgery or medication), many are also effectively and cost efficiently treated by amplification or “hearing aids.” Up until the 1990s many hearing aid users were not fully satisfied with their hearing instruments due to a lack of technology. The 1990s brought a revolution to the hearing aid industry as a whole. Programmable and fully digital-signal-processing or “digital hearing aids” changed the landscape of hearing health care. Previous to digital hearing aids, only about 40 percent of patients fit with amplification were satisfied with their aids. However, by the late 1990s this number more than doubled to nearly 90 percent user satisfaction. The message: Better hearing is available and affordable for almost everyone.

How do you know if you have an impairment? The best course of action would be to see an audiologist. Audiologist are trained to identify hearing deficits and differentiate the medically or surgically treatable from the permanent type hearing loss requiring hearing aids.

If you often hear but do not understand or lack clarity or clearness of speech, have difficulty while in crowds, certain type voices (i.e. male versus female or children versus adults) give you difficulty, you use your television or radio louder than other family members do, you may have a significant hearing loss. Individuals 50 years and older are more commonly affected by permanent hearing losses. If you experience any of the above related symptoms of hearing loss, you should see an audiologist.

C. Joseph Hibbert is a clinical audiologist.