Avada Recognizes Better Hearing and Speech Month.

BUTLER, Pa. -- May 1st marks the start of Better Hearing and Speech Month, a month dedicated to educating consumers about the need to assure that their hearing is healthy. Avada Hearing Care Centers is joining with the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) to focus attention on educating "baby boomers"

Baby boomers -- those born between 1947 and 1964 -- may be particularly susceptible to hearing loss because of their lifelong exposure to loud music and other noises, according to Russ Hearn, director of marketing for Avada Hearing Care Centers.

"Many people associate hearing loss with advancing age. Hearing loss is also associated with exposure to loud noises, something that some baby boomers have faced since childhood. According to the Better Hearing Institute, two-thirds of people with hearing loss are below retirement age," said Hearn.

Surveys published by the Better Hearing Institute (BHI) have found that:

* An overwhelming majority (93 percent) of consumers with hearing devices say the devices have improved their quality of life.

* Eighty-five percent say they are satisfied with the benefits they get from hearing aids.

* Specific improvements associated with better hearing health include more effective communications (71 percent), better social life (56 percent), better relationships at home (55 percent) and in the work place (48 percent), improved emotional health (40 percent), improved mental/cognitive ability (35 percent), and better physical health (24 percent).

* Ninety percent of the respondents said their hearing aids improved communication in one-on-one situations.

BHI is working to:

* Erase the stigma and end the embarrassment that prevents people from seeking help for hearing loss.

* Show the negative consequences of untreated hearing loss.

"Too many people cling to the old, stubborn belief that wearing a hearing aid won't help fix their hearing problems," said Sergei Kochkin, PhD, Executive Director of BHI. "We hope people understand that hearing aids work better than ever, and can dramatically improve the quality of their lives."

To celebrate "Better Hearing and Speech Month," Avada locations will be offering free hearing screenings during the month of May. Please visit www.avada.com.