The Importance of Hearing Screening for All Age Groups
In recognition of World Hearing Day, an annual global advocacy event for raising awareness about hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care, UT Physicians audiologists provided no-cost hearing screenings to patients of all ages. The screenings were held Friday, March 3, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the UTHealth Houston Professional Building in the Texas Medical Center (TMC).
“New research shows that hearing loss may contribute to a faster rate of atrophy in the brain, leading to dementia,” says Rajarshi Pratihar, AuD, MHA, MBA, who joined the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston as director of audiology in November 2022. “In addition to cognitive decline and social isolation, hearing loss also has been linked to walking problems and falls. As our population ages and lives longer, we’re seeing greater emphasis on the importance of screening and testing.”
Last March, 120 people underwent a five-minute screening in the TMC Audiology Office. Most made appointments for comprehensive audiological testing, hearing aid consultation, and an appointment with an otolaryngologist when needed, according to Dr. Pratihar.
UT Physicians will hold the event again on March 3, 2024, at the Texas Medical Center and three other locations around Houston: UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology-The Woodlands on the campus of Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center; UT Physicians Otorhinolaryngology-Southeast Houston at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital; and UT Physicians Multispecialty-Bellaire Station.