Matt Lauer of the Today Show has his hearing tested

Did you happen to watch the Today Show this past Wednesday, August 10th?

If you missed it, Matt Lauer had his hearing tested by Lexington Hearing & Speech Center.  He brought much needed attention to a critical health concern that is under-recognized and under-reported.


"In submitting to a hearing test on the air, Mr. Lauer performed a genuine public service that helps bring attention to the growing health crisis of hearing loss in adults under 65," said Adele I. Agin, LCSW, Executive Director, Lexington Hearing & Speech.


"The truth is that younger Americans are losing their hearing at an alarming rate, and recently I found out that that includes me as well," Mr. Lauer said.  Mr. Lauer, 53, reported that although hearing loss is commonly thought to predominantly affect the aged, currently more adults under 65 suffer hearing loss than those over 65.  He was advised by the audiologist conducting his hearing test that his impairment was attributable to the earphone he routinely wears in his right ear as part of his job.  


"Regular earphone and headphone use is the single most common factor leading to hearing loss in adults under 65.  Teenagers and young adults who 'plug in' to listen to music for hours at a time are especially vulnerable, and parents should make sure their children are getting hearing tests as part of their annual health check ups. Testing is covered by most insurance plans, is painless and take only a few minutes," said Lexington's Audiology Director, John Ioannou, MS, CCC-A.  "Hearing loss is irreversible.  Identifying any problem early on will enable appropriate steps to prevent further deterioration and reduce the impact of hearing loss on quality of life."


Kudos to you Mr. Lauer!  Thank you, from this group of audiologists, for bringing this to the attention of all of your viewers!