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NOW
HEAR
THIS
...if you can
50+ AMERICANS
SOUND OFF ABOUT
THEIR HEARING
HEALTH
My hearing is excellent
Though 85 percent of
Americans 50 and older
say hearing health is im-
portant, only 43 percent
have gotten their hearing
checked during the past
five years (conversely, 88
percent had a vision exam).
Think your hearing is fine?
Here’s a quick test: Do
friends and family com-
plain that you play the
TV or radio too loud? Do
you ask people to repeat
themselves? Do you need
to look at them to under-
stand what they’re saying?
A yes answer may mean
you have an untreated
hearing problem—like
47 percent of respondents
in a recent survey by AARP
and the American Speech-
Language-Hearing
Association. Getting help
can offer sound results: 73
percent of those who use
hearing aids said the devic-
es improved their quality of
life. —Holly Zimmerman
32%
I have difficulty hearing
and I’ve been treated
20%
I have difficulty
hearing and I have
not been treated
15%
My hearing isn’t as good
as it could be, but I don’t
need treatment
32%
“I would be more likely
to seek treatment
for a hearing difficulty
if I were sure I
could afford it.”
(Strongly Agree/Agree)
65%
Source: “The State of Hearing Health: A Study of AARP Members” by AARP and the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, available online at aarp.org/hearing
LOUD AND
CLEAR
Learn how to deal with hearing
loss at aarp.org/hearingguide.
