Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/840058
12 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST JULY - ThE 5 SEnSES | SATURdAY, JUnE 24, 2017 12 | YOU AT YOUR BEST | nwAdg.cOm/YOUATYOURBEST JULY - ThE 5 SEnSES Special to NWa Democrat-Gazette Understanding the importance of our sense of hearing Wolfpack Hearing: Meeting the hearing needs of Northwest Arkansas A ccording to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NID- CD), approximately 15 percent of American adults aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing. That translates to 37.5 million Americans suffering from some form of hearing loss. It is estimated that 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefi t from using hearing aids — however, among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss, fewer than one in three (30 percent) has ever used them. Most peo- ple don't realize that the majority of hearing losses can be helped with hearing aids. While hearing aids do not restore hear- ing to "normal" or "cure" hearing loss, they can provide signifi cant improvement in your ability to communicate with loved ones if the hearing aids are appropriate for your specifi c listening needs. They must also be worn consistently and properly maintained over time. "Many of my new patients are surprised when I describe to them the amount of work we put into en-