May has arrived. Springtime is finally here! The flowers are blooming, the sun is shining, and the birds are chirping. The world is coming to life once again!
May also brings us Better Speech & Hearing Month, brought to us by Speech-Language & Audiology Canada (SAC).
This month, SAC will reach out to our communities and share the vital role that communication plays in all our lives.
Communication difficulties, whether they encompass the inability to hear, a speech impairment or both, will turn what is simple for most of us into a seemingly insurmountable challenge for some of us.
They can lead to missed promotions at work or social isolation at home and out on the town. They can deteriorate our relationships and lead to loneliness, depression and despair.
But they don’t have to. If you or a loved one finds conversation to be more difficult than it once was, especially in loud environments, or if you constantly ask for words to be repeated or turn the volume up on the TV, then hearing loss may be the culprit.
Another common sign is ringing in the ears when all is quiet, like at night just before you fall asleep.
If you feel any of these symptoms, it may be time for a check up with a hearing health expert.Or, even if you don’t feel these symptoms, it never hurts to have your hearing screened as if you’re simply going in for an annual wellness exam or dentist appointment!
Doing so will stave off any long-term negative effects of hearing loss, such as lost promotions or social isolation, since any hearing loss you may experience will be discovered right away.
A hearing instrument specialist will be able to give you a hearing test and offer recommendations for the most appropriate hearing aids.
We are social creatures. Communication is such a vital part of our lives that ensuring we can hear and communicate well will also ensure that our days are filled with good times, lots of laughter and those quiet, sweet nothings we save for romantic, candlelit dinners.
In short, good hearing gives us the sunshine and flowers brought by the month of May.
