There will be Community Hearing Screenings on Friday as a part of a twice-a-semester program to help partakers catch hearing loss early on.
The screenings are provided by Audiology students for Ohio University’s Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic.
“Our goal is to identify individuals who may have hearing loss. These are a pass/fail assessment in that if an individual cannot hear a beep at 20 dB HL (the lower end of normal hearing range) at four frequencies that are key for hearing speech, then they fail the hearing screening,” said Brandie Nance, clinical supervisor of audiology at OU’s Hearing, Speech and Language Clinic.
If an individual fails the screening, he or she should have a complete hearing evaluation to ensure that they don’t have a medical problem that needs to be a addressed by a physician, Nance said.
“Most individuals have a gradual hearing change over a time period of years and may not notice how much difficulty they are experiencing as they have adapted over the years,” Nance said. “Often a family member is the first to notice a hearing problem.”
Hearing loss sometimes leads to depression, since it inhibits social communication and interaction. Studies have also linked hearing loss to dementia, Nance said.
The screening is free and offered two or three times per semester, said Rachael Borges, the graduate assistant in charge of setting up the event.
The clinic will feature two upcoming demonstrations on March 20 and April 15.
@w_gibbs
wg868213@ohio.edu
If You Go:
What: Community Hearing Screenings
When: 1-3 p.m. Friday
Where: Grover W174
Admission: Free
