Posted Wednesday, May 12, 2010---11:50 a.m.

What do former President Bill Clinton, singing icon and movie star Barbara Streisand, and late night talk show host David Letterman all have in common? They are all baby boomers suffering from hearing loss. While 10-million boomers already suffer from hearing loss, only an estimated one in five actually wear hearing aids.

May is Better Speech and Hearing Month, and Dean Clinic Audiologist Sarah Hervas, AUD wants to get the word out that hearing aids are not what they used to be.

“When many people think about hearing aids, they think about the clunky, squealing hearing aids their grandma or grandpa used to wear,” says Dr. Hervas. “Today’s hearing aid is far from that.”

In fact, today’s hearing aids are very small. They are available in a number of different trendy colors and are extremely automatic. There are Bluetooth compatible hearing aids that allow people to talk on the phone hands free, and audio can be streamed directly into the hearing aid from mp3 players and TV.

Baby boomers are a demographic that not only cares about cutting edge technology but also about style. Hearing aid manufacturers recognize that and don’t want boomers to miss out on anything because they don’t like the way a hearing aid looks.

“Missing out is exactly what happens to a lot of people with hearing loss,” says Dr. Hervas. “It starts out that they miss bits and pieces of a conversation. They start to misinterpret things, and eventually want to stop participating in group events and social activities. Hearing loss can really affect relationships.”

Most people make their vision a priority by wearing glasses or contacts, but many seem to ignore hearing loss. This month, Dean Clinic Audiologists are urging anyone who thinks he or she may be suffering from hearing loss to schedule a hearing evaluation.

“With today’s technology, there is no reason anyone has to miss out on the wonderful sounds of life,” says Dr. Hervas.