On March 3, Celebrate World Hearing Day by Checking Your Hearing!

All About World Hearing Day

The Who

World Hearing Day is hosted andpromoted by the World Health Organization (WHO). The World Health Organizationis a specialized agency with the United Nations that is concerned with publichealth issues on an international scale.

The What

World Hearing Day is a time thatpromotes education and advocacy around issues concerning ear and hearinghealth. Each year the World Health Organization distinguishes a theme for WorldHearing Day. The theme for 2019 is very simple and straight forward, “Get YourHearing Checked!”

The When

The first ever World Hearing Daywas announced in 2007 at an international hearing conference in Beijing, China.Since then, World Hearing Day has been held and celebrated on March 3rd ofevery year. This date was specifically chosen because March 3rd (3-3) resemblesthe look of two ears!

The Where

Because the World HealthOrganization is a worldwide initiative, and because hearing loss and deafnesseffects every community throughout the globe, World Hearing Day can becelebrated anywhere on planet earth.

The Why

The World Health Organizationconcerns itself with health concerns that affect us on an international scale,and hearing loss is certainly one of those issue. Hearing loss currentlyeffects hundreds of millions of people internationally, including millions ofchildren. This number is expected to grow dramatically, and the World HealthOrganization understands the importance of spreading awareness about hearingrelated health and prevention.

World Hearing Day Facts andFigures

At the moment, there are about446,000,000 (446 million) people living with hearing loss severe enough to beconsidered disabling. This includes about 36 million children. While thisnumber is staggering, it is expected to grow exponentially. In only about 30years, it is estimated that people living with disabling hearing loss will growto an astonishing 900,000,000 (900 million). At this point, 1-in-10 persons onthe planet will be living with disabling hearing loss. On top of this, the WHOestimates that over a billion young people (aged 12-35) are at risk ofdeveloping hearing loss as a result of their noisy leisure activities includingpersonal listening devices.

Hearing loss is a global concern,that can affect us at any age, anywhere in the world. It is estimated that thecurrent cost of global hearing loss is about $750,000,000,000 (750 billiondollars).

World Hearing Day 2019 “GetYour Hearing Checked!”

This year, the theme for WorldHearing Day is “Get Your Hearing Checked!” The reason the WHO chose this themeis to promote the importance of early identification and intervention forhearing loss - regardless of one’s age. This year’s theme aims to spread theimportant message that the earlier you get your hearing tested, the earlier youcan begin a hearing healthcare treatment plan, and the earlier you can reap allof the many benefits associated with treating your hearing loss.

Benefits of Treating HearingLoss

There are many benefits oftreating hearing loss that permeate far beyond your ears. The scientificcommunity has been studying the benefits of treating hearing loss for decades,and have found some very powerful results. Treating hearing loss has been foundto improve our careers by enhancing our workplace productivity and earning potential.Treating hearing loss has been found to improve our emotional health byimproving our relationships with those closest to us as well as our sociallives in general. Treating hearing loss also has a profoundly positive impacton our cognitive and physical health as well. Research has found that wearinghearing aids may actually slow the rate of cognitive decline in older adults aswell as reduce the risk for slips and falls that result in serious injury.

Get Your Hearing Checked Today!

If you or someone you love may be experiencing some of the early signs of hearing loss, it is imperative that your reach out to a hearing healthcare professional for a comprehensive hearing test! What a better time than now to get a hearing screen, to celebrate World Hearing Day! Celebrations are always more fun with our loved ones around, so invite a friend to come along with you. If you are in the Atlanta area, feel free to reach out to our friendly team at Atlanta Hearing Doctor today.