Matt Lauer‘s decision to talk about hearing loss on the “TODAY Show” Wednesday morning highlighted a health concern that often goes under-recognized and under-reported, the Lexington Hearing & Speech Center said in a press release.
"In submitting to a hearing test on the air, Mr. Lauer performed a genuine public service that helps bring attention to the growing health crisis of hearing loss in adults under 65," said Adele I. Agin, LCSW, Executive Director, Hearing & Speech.
"The truth is that younger Americans are losing their hearing at an alarming rate, and recently I found out that that includes me as well," Lauer said on the show.
According to the press release, Lauer, 53, said that even though hearing loss is commonly thought to mostly affect the aged, there are currently more adults under the age of 65 suffering from hearing loss than those over 65. Lauer, who suffers from hearing impairment himself, was told by the audiologist conducting his hearing test that his impairment was likely due to the earphone he routinely wears in his right ear while on the job.
"Regular earphone and headphone use is the single most common factor leading to hearing loss in adults under 65. Teenagers and young adults who 'plug in' to listen to music for hours at a time are especially vulnerable, and parents should make sure their children are getting hearing tests as part of their annual health check ups. Testing is covered by most insurance plans, is painless and take only a few minutes," Lexington's Audiology Director, John Ioannou, MS, CCC-A, said in the press release. "Hearing loss is irreversible. Identifying any problem early on will enable appropriate steps to prevent further deterioration and reduce the impact of hearing loss on quality of life."
