September 7, 2007
Insufficient consumer awareness of state-of-the-art hearing instrument technology and a general tendency to deny the presence of a hearing problem led the International Hearing Society (IHS), Livonia, Mich, to declare September 30-October 6, 2007, as Hearing Aid
Awareness Week. The event has been recognized by the US Department of Health and Human Service’s National Health Information Center and is included in the 2007 National Health Observances Calendar.
Started in 1995, Hearing Aid Awareness Week is celebrated throughout the country, in many ways.
“Advances in hearing instrument technology allow modern hearing aids to dramatically improve sound recognition capabilities,” says IHS President James Ogurek. According to Ogurek, only about a fifth of the nation’s 31.5 million hearing impaired citizens with a measurable loss that could benefit from hearing aids are currently using amplification.
“It is important that people know of the great strides hearing instrument technology has made in recent years,” says Ogurek. He cited advances in digital computer technology, improved identification of sound direction, more cosmetically appealing products and improved fidelity of sound in different listening environments.
“Help is available for virtually everyone with a hearing loss,” says Cindy Helms, IHS executive director. “The majority of hearing impaired persons cannot be helped medically or surgically. For most, hearing aids are the answer. And studies have shown that hearing aids have a tremendous impact on quality of life enhancement for users and their families.”
SOURCE: International Hearing Society
