Health care professionals want residents of Fairfax County and beyond to listen to a friendly reminder: if you’re having hearing problems, it’s time to do something about it. And what better time is there than May, during Better Hearing Month.

According to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hearing loss is the third most common chronic health condition in the U.S. Almost twice as many people report hearing loss as report diabetes or cancer. Nationwide, about 40 million adults aged 20–69 years have noise-induced hearing loss, and about 1 in 4 adults who report “excellent to good” hearing already have hearing damage.2

MedExpress healthcare professionals are available to talk about the signs of hearing loss in adults. They can also discuss some of the misperceptions about hearing loss such as it’s a normal part of aging and nothing to worry about. Hearing loss is also more common in certain work environments, like manufacturing, and experts are available to speak about the important steps employers can take to prevent hearing issues at work.

Here are some common questions that healthcare professionals can answer about those who experience problems with hearing:

What are the most common signs and symptoms of hearing loss?

What types of noises, including loud music, cause the most hearing damage?

How concerned should people be about pain or ringing in the ears?

Is workplace hearing loss common and what are some tools to protect hearing at work?