Tips for Better Hearing with Paul Gilbert

Like many musicians who came up playing in the 80s and 90s, Paul Gilbert didn’t think much about protecting his ears, and subsequently suffered hearing loss.

And while 50 million Americans suffer from hearing loss, due to stigma associated with it, the issue is often ignored or neglected. Which is why during Men’s Health Month (men are at a greater risk of hearing loss than women), the guitarist is helping to raise awareness of the condition and helping others.

He shares his story and provides tips on protecting hearing, how to safely enjoy summer concerts and removing the stigma associated with hearing loss.

Technology has played a big role in allowing to Gilbert to continue playing and touring. With Gilbert’s Phonak Audéo Marvel hearing aids, wearers can stream music, phone calls, video, and more to both ears from millions of Bluetooth-connected devices. Supporting both Android and iOS devices, it delivers better speech understanding, reduced listening effort in noisy situations, and top sound quality.

Additional hearing loss stats:
· The number of people with hearing loss is increasing due to dangerous noise exposure in leisure activities and an expanding population age 65+.
· 20% of Americans ages 12 and over has a hearing loss.
· Lifetime costs of untreated profound hearing loss can be as much as $1 million per person in the U.S.
· 20% of teens ages 12-19 have reported hearing loss from exposure to loud noise.
· On average, people with hearing loss wait 10 years from diagnosis to finally getting fitted with hearing aids.
· Social isolation, depression, and increased risk of early onset dementia are common among people with hearing loss. But the use of hearing aids can slow or reverse these issues.