Most of us take our hearing for granted but there are recent hearing trends that should concern everyone.

According to The American Speech Language and Hearing Association (ASHA), "The number of Americans with a hearing loss has evidentially doubled during the past 30 years."

The use of personal audio systems and cell phones increases the chances for a hearing loss. Individuals often increase the volume on cell phones and personal audio systems beyond recommended levels to compensate for surrounding noise.

Listening to hours of music often damages hearing permanently. Add to this the increased use of loud car stereos and noisy toys and you have recipe for disaster for our country's hearing health.

If you can hear someone's music form his or her earphones or have to raise your voice to be heard over noisy toys then the noise is too loud.

Noisy toys should have batteries removed and parents should program maximum volumes levels before allowing children to use personal listening devices.

Our nation is expected to experience an epidemic in hearing loss from the prolonged exposure to noise from our current ignorance of hearing health care.

Our world is getting noisier and the stress and long term affects of noise are just beginning to be recognized. Hearing loss affects children educationally, leads to social isolation and impacts vocational choices.

Children who experience hearing loss develop vocabulary more slowly and often misunderstand directions. Spelling and reading are affected as a child mishears sounds and fails to attach the correct letter to the sound perceived.

Many children with hearing loss mishear the difference between pit and pet or chair and share. They may develop difficulty pronouncing sounds and suffer speech delays and learning disabilities. Hearing loss, which is caused by allergies and earwax can affect a child significantly academically and socially.

Children who suffer a mild loss may not respond to peers asking them to play or may be perceived as less intelligent or rude when they do not respond to classmates.

Most parents assume that a persistent mild loss is acceptable since their child does not need hearing aids, however, this assumption is incorrect.

Children with mild losses need preferential seating in class and/or amplification to benefit from academic and social opportunities. The use of assistive listening devices may help individuals hear better at work, in cars, theatres and classrooms.

One of the most common types of ALDs is a sound field system, which may be used to assist all children in a classroom. The teacher's voice is amplified through a microphone and children with learning disabilities as well as hearing loss benefit from the amplification. Reading, speech and language difficulties may be avoided for many children if hearing status is properly managed.

Why spend money on therapy or tutoring when the problem may be avoided with preventative measures?

According to the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, "Children with mild to moderate hearing losses, on average, achieve one to four grade levels lower than their peers with normal hearing, unless appropriate management occurs." Adults increasingly rely upon hearing aids, which may be avoided if we take care of our hearing now.

Speech language pathologists and audiologists are trained to help families determine appropriate treatment for hearing related concerns.

Contact the American Speech Language and Hearing Association, www.asha.org to receive hearing tips, instructions on how to program volumes on personal listening devices as well as referrals to local licensed and certified professionals.

Many forms of hearing loss may be avoided if we take the time to learn more about proper hearing health care now.