Latest local news, weather and high school sports for Tri-State area

You might be a little surprised to know that the typical person with hearing loss waits over five years to see a health care professional for an evaluation. Although hearing loss is not a life threatening condition, it is a condition that does lower the overall quality of life for those suffering from it. The good news is that well-designed clinical studies have shown that when hearing aids are properly fitted they significantly improve the overall quality of life for their users.

The downside to choosing to wait until your hearing loss gets worse, or not wearing them at all, has also been well documented. There are several reasons for taking the advice of your Miracle Ear professional, and beginning the process of hearing aid use now. Below is a list of the reasons for taking action today. Evidence clearly shows that there are serious negative consequences if you wait to use hearing aids

As you may know there is still a strong stigma associated with wearing hearing aids. Over the past decade, technology has become smaller and better. Today, many hearing aids are virtually invisible and still deliver outstanding performance in challenging listening environments.

Open Canal (OC) technology allows the modern components of the hearing aid to be hidden both over the ear and deep inside the ear canal. In addition to being virtually invisible, OC devices have several acoustic advantages, including the elimination of the plugged feeling many patients experience with hearing aids as well as squealing or feedback. In order to learn about your OC options and if this technology is right for you contact your local Miracle Ear professional.

These are all hallmarks of the Baby Boom Generation, the group aged 44-62 that currently makes up the largest segment of American society. They have witnessed, and contributed to, a greater increase in noise pollution than any other generation. And they'll live longer than any who preceded them. These two factors combined make them the generation most vulnerable to hearing loss.

Prolonged or loud noise appears to have overtaken age as a cause of hearing loss in the U.S., at least for the Baby Boomer generation. About 40% of the hearing impaired are younger than 65* — and Baby Boomers themselves are the fastest-growing group to suffer hearing loss today.**

Unfortunately, the problem of hearing loss is "growing younger." 15% of recent college graduates have as much or more hearing loss than their parents.* And over two million Americans with hearing loss are the age of 18.