May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, a month set aside each year by hearing and speech professionals to educate the public about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy.

The staff at Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center Audiology Section is dedicated to this noteworthy mission and to ensure that the public, particularly military personnel and their dependents, are educated about the need to protect their hearing from the harmful effects of loud noise and the importance of having regular hearing evaluations.

In the United States, there are over twenty million Americans who suffer from some degree of hearing loss in one or both ears. Even mild hearing impairment can significantly impact social, educational and professional aspects of life.

Typical symptoms of hearing loss include asking people to repeat themselves, experiencing difficulty with telephone conversations, or being told by others that your TV or radio is too loud.

Often, hearing aids can make a tremendous improvement in hearing and improve the quality of life for hearing impaired individuals.

Additional information regarding hearing and/or speech pathology can be obtained by contacting the American Speech, Language and Hearing Association at www.asha.org, or the American Academy of Audiology at www. audiology.org.

DDEAMC Audiology offers a variety of audiological services

for all ages from newborns to seniors. The specific type of services provided depend on the status of the patient. For active duty personnel, services include diagnostic hearing evaluations, fitting of hearing aids at no cost, fitting of hearing protection and ear cleaning.

For dependents of active duty personnel services include diagnostic hearing evaluations and ear cleaning. Hearing aids are provided by TRICARE.

For military retirees, services include diagnostic hearing evaluations and ear cleaning. For those retirees who do not qualify for hearing aids through the Veterans Affairs system, hearing aids are provided through a program called retiree at cost hearing aid program. Under this program, a hearing aid that would normally cost thousands of dollars on the economy would cost less than five hundred dollars.

Finally, for dependents of military retirees, services include diagnostic hearing evaluations and ear cleaning. Hearing aids are not provided for this category of patient at the present time. Idividuals interested in obtaining any of the above listed services should call the Audiology Section for an appointment at (706) 787-6689. Active duty personnel must first have their required annual hearing test at the Hearing Conservation Center, Building 38718 (706) 787-1200/1200. Referrals to Audiology will be scheduled when indicated.