30701 Woodward Ave, Suite 200
Royal Oak, MI 48073
Royal Oak, MI 48073
Your ability to hear properly and listen clearly is vital — especially in this noisy world we live in.
It helps us form meaningful connections with others, keeps us safe through environmental awareness, allows us to enjoy life’s most fruitful sounds and gives us another way of learning life’s biggest lessons.
That’s why, every May, the Rontal Clinic celebrates Better Hearing Month.
Better Hearing Month, now called National Speech-Language-Hearing Month, as of 2024, has evolved greatly since it was created by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) in 1972.
It’s celebrated annually and comes on the heels of World Hearing Day, observed globally on March 3.
But what exactly is Better Hearing Month?
And what does the Royal Oak community need to know about it?
Simply put, Better Hearing Month aims to raise awareness about hearing, communication, ear health and the many hearing disorders that prevent Royal Oak residents from living a happy, healthy and normal life.
Without Better Hearing Month, it would be easy to forget just how important ear health and function is.
Did you know that more than 50 million Americans experience some degree of hearing loss?
That makes hearing loss the third most common chronic physical condition in the United States today. It also means that it’s twice as prevalent as diabetes and cancer — and your risk only increases with age.
In fact, more than two-thirds of the population will experience hearing loss by the age of 70.
And many will experience it sooner since we’re all at risk of noise-induced hearing loss.
With Better Hearing Month in full swing, the Rontal Clinic — Royal Oak’s premier ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor — is here to break down everything you need to know about hearing loss and its impact.
Hearing loss comes in many forms — and our job is to help our patients get to the bottom of it.
For example, some people are born with it, while others develop it in childhood or as they age. It happens gradually in some, yet suddenly in others. The loss can be temporary or permanent — and partial or total.
With that said, most cases can be broken down into one of three types of hearing loss:
Furthermore, most cases of hearing loss can be broken down into one of five causes:
Understanding the type of hearing loss and its root cause is the only way to ensure our patients receive the proper treatment — and a hearing exam or audiology evaluation is the best way to narrow that down.
While treatments do exist, prevention and awareness are often the two best medicines for hearing loss.
That’s what makes Better Hearing Month such an important observance in the United States today — as it gives the Royal Oak community an opportunity to focus on the small things that make big differences.
When it comes to your ears, that means being your own best advocate.
As we celebrate another month of better hearing, there’s no better time to go over some of our basic and practical, yet useful and effective ear health tips to help prevent and/or reduce your risk of hearing loss.
Last but not least, the Rontal Clinic recommends leading a healthy and active lifestyle by exercising regularly, eating a well-balanced diet and managing conditions that could contribute to hearing loss.
Prevention is often the best medicine — but it can only get you so far before a doctor is needed.
As the old adage goes, knowing when to ask for help and accepting help when it’s offered are the two most important skills you can learn in life. And things are no different when it comes to your ear health.
That’s why the Rontal Clinic recommends visiting your local eye doctor annually for a hearing test.
These screenings can detect subtle changes in hearing ability before they become noticeable problems — giving us the opportunity to treat hearing loss in its earliest stages and slow its rate of progression.
Outside of routine checks, we recommend visiting your eye doctor if you experience any of the following:
Remember, better hearing means better living — and there's no better time than Better Hearing Month to take control of your auditory health. So, don’t hesitate to contact us when you’re ready to learn more!
Are you starting to lose part or all of your hearing? Are you often surrounded by loud machines, speakers or noisy environments? Have you recently suffered an ear injury? Is your hearing worsening with age?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
Welcome to the Rontal Clinic — Royal Oak’s favorite ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor.
We take great pride in serving the Royal Oak community and are committed to making ear health a top priority in our ENT practice — not just in May in celebration of Better Hearing Month, but year-round.
If you need help with hearing loss, contact our office at (248) 737-4030 — we would love to assist you!