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May is Better Hearing and Speech Month

With approximately 15 percent of American adults reporting difficulty hearing, Dr. Ann DePaolo Wietsma, owner and audiologist at The Audiology Offices, is encouraging people to learn the signs of hearing loss—and to seek care.

This is a timely message, she said, as May is recognized nationally as Better Hearing and Speech Month.

“Our hearing is key to so many aspects of our lives, but it’s something that many people undervalue until we are having severe hearing difficulties,” Wietsma said. “Even then, some of us typically wait years to receive treatment, if ever. This is despite the fact that audiologists can help people in many different ways.”

“Hearing loss is much more than a simple nuisance,” she said. “Left unaddressed, it can affect us in a variety of ways, from increased risk for physical danger such as falling or missing warning signals like a fire alarm; to mental health problems, including social isolation and depression; to cognitive decline, including earlier onse...

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