03-03-2025
Signs of hearing loss experts say you might not know — free tests available in March
BLAIR COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — March 3 is recognized as World Hearing Day, and if you didn't know, hearing is considered the fastest sense — helping you stay aware of your surroundings and connect to the world around you.
'There are just as many people under 50 with hearing loss, that there are over 50 with hearing loss,' Dr. Tom Tedeschi, Au.D.,FNAP, and Chief Audiology Officer of Miracle-Ear said.
The Miracle-Ear Foundation provides hearing aids for free, for people who would otherwise not be able to afford them.
Tedeschi said there are several signs of hearing loss that people should be aware of. Some of them include:
Frequently Asking Others to Repeat Themselves
Turning Up the Volume
Withdrawal from Social Situations
'Probably one of the most common ones is difficulty hearing in restaurants or in crowded places. You'll start to notice that you have these issues in these situations. Also ringing in the ears. You know, if you go to a concert or you go to a loud place with a lot of noise, if you notice that your ears start to ring or your ears are ringing after that exposure, that means you're doing damage to your ears,' he said.
However, loud noise isn't the only contributing factor to hearing loss. Overall health also has a stake in it.
'Individuals who have diabetes, they are more susceptible to hearing loss, heart disease, circulatory problems. These are all issues that can affect hearing. The inner ear is the smallest blood supply organ in our bodies. And so as we have these circulatory issues we have, you know, heart disease or diabetes, these things affect the inner ear and cause hearing loss,' Tedeschi noted.
Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) ages 18 and over report some trouble hearing, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders.
The CDC also has tips for preventing noise-induced hearing loss.
'Hearing is a precious sense that we have. And it's one of the few senses that as we lose it, we can't replace it. Only with a hearing aid can help it. So guard your hearing very carefully, because once you lose it, it doesn't come back.'
Throughout March, Miracle-Ear is also working to test the nation with its free hearing evaluation. The organization offers free hearing evaluations online and in-store for anyone who thinks they may be experiencing hearing loss.
There are over 1,500 Miracle-Ear locations nationwide. Click here to find one near you.
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