{"id":620,"date":"2020-07-22T11:18:50","date_gmt":"2020-07-22T02:18:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/3-in-5-us-adults-report-struggling-to-hear-or-engage-in-conversation-while-wearing-a-mask\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T11:02:27","modified_gmt":"2020-12-01T02:02:27","slug":"3-in-5-us-adults-report-struggling-to-hear-or-engage-in-conversation-while-wearing-a-mask","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-loss\/3-in-5-us-adults-report-struggling-to-hear-or-engage-in-conversation-while-wearing-a-mask\/","title":{"rendered":"3 in 5 US Adults Report Struggling to Hear or Engage in Conversation While Wearing a Mask"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I found myself recently sitting in an urgent care exam room with my daughter, who was in pain with an earache. The doctor came in and I quickly introduced myself and began explaining the situation. The doctor stopped me mid-speech, \u201cWait. Could you please remove your mask while you\u2019re speaking? I\u2019m hard of hearing and need to read your lips.\u201d I was taken aback for a moment, removing my mask felt so foreign. But I was also struck by what a different world the COVID environment must be for this doctor and anyone else with hearing loss.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Being so accustomed to seeing people\u2019s mouths moving, to have that taken away, must be extremely disconcerting. At a time when we are all trying to find our footing in a very strange and stressful new normal, people with hearing loss are feeling further struggles\u00a0 to communicate on top of the challenges they already face.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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It\u2019s no surprise that in the recent Olive Union nationwide survey of 1500 U.S. adults, 3 in 5 reported <\/span>struggling to hear or engage in conversation while wearing a face mask. That\u2019s more than half of respondents and with an estimated <\/span>48 million American adults<\/span><\/a> affected by hearing loss, there are probably many missed conversations happening during this pandemic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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With face masks becoming an accepted part of everyday life for most Americans, <\/span>Olive Union<\/span><\/a>, the company dedicated to improving the sounds of everyday life, recently commissioned a national survey of 1,500 US adults to find out the extent to which hearing impairment affects their lives, particularly during this time of (nearly) ubiquitous facemask use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Most U.S. adults are affected by some degree of hearing loss<\/b><\/p>\n

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According to the survey results, an astounding 82% of US adults indicate they experience hearing trouble at various times. 64% of US adults said they know a family member or friend who has experienced hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Among the respondents who reported currently experiencing hearing loss, these common situations were reported to be the most difficult:<\/span><\/p>\n

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