Houston County experts urge early hearing checks to protect health

Local health professionals say hearing screenings should start in your 20s to protect long-term wellness.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – More than one in ten Houston County residents live with hearing loss, and local health experts say catching it early can make a difference for your overall health.

“You are 60% less likely to fall when you are wearing your prescriptive hearing aids. If you have hearing loss at all, that’s a big statistic,” hearing professional Heather Senter said. 

According to Senter, many people don’t get their ears checked because they think it has something to do with age. She says most people should get their ears checked starting in their early 20s. 

“Because they think that hearing loss is the people that are talking loudly, and they look like the classic picture of what someone with hearing loss., but most of it is not like that; it’s people that look like me and you. It’s subtle and does affect the brain, and it’s good. People are being made aware.”

Senter says most leave hearing screenings proven wrong on their hearing quality.

“I have a lot of people coming in, they’re taking their Pilates, men are working out at the gym, eating right, taking their supplements. They’re doing all these things, and when they start realizing themselves that part of their brain has to do with their hearing. They want to come in and do it and be healthy, and those are the people that are just thriving.”

She explains the signs of hearing loss, and how to pinoint it in others. It’s not only important for hearing but also your overall health. 

“Things not sounding as clear as they once did,” she said. “It can start to sound like people are mumbling, or certain letters are being dropped when people speak. And that is because most of the time sensorineural loss affects hair cells. And that is very specific, it’s not just you need volume, there are specific areas in the cochlea that are being affected. And so, it doesn’t sound like everything is quiet, it sounds like it’s not as clear, and that is a sign of hearing loss.”

Senter says there is no excuse for not getting your ears checked yearly and that hearing aids are accessible. 

“It really depends on what the loss is of how small we can go and still give you what you need,” she said. “Some people don’t want anything to do with technology, so they’re not interested in Bluetooth. But most people now days are going to invest in their hearing and brain. And it’s a wonderful thing to be hands free, while I’m still helping my brain and hearing.”

Miracle Ear offers free ear screenings for all ages. You can also be sized and matched with hearing aids on-site.