Hearing center to offer free screenings
As a way to spread awareness on hearing health, Beltone Hearing Center will be offering special Saturday hours as well as free hearing screenings in recognition of the nationwide company’s 77th anniversary.
Rick Gurney, hearing instrument specialist at Yuma’s Beltone Hearing Center, recommends that people call ahead of time for availability and to book an appointment.
The center is located at 11665 S. Fortuna Road and can be reached by calling (928) 342-6000.
Chicago-based Beltone was founded in 1940 when Sam and Faye Posen recognized the need for personalized and miniaturized hearing aid technology, the Beltone news release shows.
According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.
“Hearing loss often comes on gradually,” Gurney said. “People don’t often realize why they are struggling. As the loss goes on indefinitely, the person’s ability to actually process speech clearly can gradually diminish.”
“One of the disasters sometimes when people wait too long in getting help is they actually start losing the ability to process speech as well,” Gurney said. “Then, they won’t do as well with hearing aids.”
Gurney explained that as hearing loss goes untreated, deterioration can occur as the nerves in the inner ear send signals up to the inner brain.
“As loss goes on overtime, depending on the severity, people are up to five times more likely to get dementia,” Gurney said. “Simply by utilizing hearing aids it keeps the brain literally kind of lit up and working up there.”