YORK, Pa. — Hearing loss affects one in five people in the US and is more common than diabetes and cancer. Studies show less than half of adults who reported trouble hearing actually sought medical care. In this week’s Health Smart, FOX43 introduces you to A&E Audiology & Hearing Aid Center and why one of their audiologists says she knows firsthand that help is out there.
Dr. Bethany Noll of Denver, Pa was just 4 years old when she was diagnosed with hearing loss. When she was 12, her mom took her to A&E Audiology & Hearing Center in Lancaster. She loved it so much that in high school, she expressed an interest in becoming an audiologist. That's when she was invited by one of the audiologists, Dr. Elliot, to go on a mission trip to Haiti to provide the gift of hearing to those in need. She has been involved with the company ever since, only now, as an audiologist.
"Seeing patients everyday, I love getting to learn about their lives, their family and just being a part of their journey into better hearing,” Dr. Noll said. It’s her work with the company’s non-profit clinic, though, A&E Hearing Connection, that she really treasures.
“A&E’s whole purpose is to give back and provide as many people with the hearing that they can,” she said. The non-profit provides services to people in Lancaster County who can’t afford hearing aids. With the nonprofit, Dr. Noll has also been on eight mission trips that she says changed her life.
“Haiti just opened my eyes to all the possibilities of audiology and being able to give back and use my experience to show people that you have all the potential, even with hearing loss," she said.
Dr. Noll says one of the biggest things holding people with hearing loss back from living a full life, is fear, especially of hearing aids.
“Don’t be scared of it," she said. "They are a lot smaller than they used to be, I know size and cosmetics can be a big concern but they really are essentially invisible."
If left untreated, people with hearing loss can experience feelings of isolation and helplessness, not to mention the detrimental effects it can have on family members. Which is why she encourages everyone to seek help.
“People notice more when you’re not hearing well than when you’re wearing a hearing device," she said.
Dr. Knoll helped to organize a “Day of Giving” this Friday, May 7, where they will be fitting several people with hearing aids through their non-profit A&E Hearing Connection. For more information, check out their website here.
More about A&E Audiology & Hearing Aid Center:
Their audiology team and hearing specialists in Lancaster, Lititz, and Willow Street, understand the life-altering impact that hearing loss can have. They strive to offer the most advanced and effective audiological treatments available today, including hearing aids, hearing loss rehabilitation, tinnitus treatment, and more. Their goal is to help you restore your hearing clarity and eliminate the sense of isolation that hearing loss can cause.
Since 2001, their doctors have helped over 20,000 patients with hearing loss and hearing-related conditions.
For more information on A&E Audiology & Hearing Aid Center, click here.