JACKSON HEIGHTS, NY - May 9, 2011 - May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, a good time to analyze your own hearing and determine if you are one of the estimated 28 million Americans, including nearly one in five teenagers*, who have a hearing loss that can be treated. According to Adele Agin, Executive Director of the Lexington Center for the Deaf, New York's leading non-profit resource for the deaf and hearing impaired, you may have a hearing loss if you:  Find yourself asking people to repeat themselves.  Often turn your ear toward a sound to hear it better.  Understand people better when you wear your glasses or look directly at their faces.  Lose your place in group conversations.  Keep the volume on your radio or TV at a level that others say is too loud.  Have pain or ringing in your ears. "People who find themselves in any of these situations should see an audiologist for a hearing examination," said Ms. Agin. "The slightest hearing loss can have a great impact your daily life." Audiologists at Lexington who specialize in preventing, identifying, assessing, and treating hearing disorders, recommend annual hearing checkups for anyone who is exposed to loud noises on a daily basis and for people over 45 years old. Included in that group are those who work in factories, construction, transit workers and people who listen to loud music. In addition to yearly checkups, the professionals at Lexington recommend the following to help maintain good hearing health:  Turn the volume down to at least the halfway point on personal music players such as iPods and consider switching from earbuds to headphones. Earbuds have been linked with noise induced hearing loss.  Use earplugs or similar hearing protection if you work in an environment with continued loud noises such as in construction, factories, etc.  Use earplugs when you are around loud noise such as at concerts, fireworks shows, hunting, etc.  Wear hearing protection when using loud lawn equipment and power tools.  Be aware of the symptoms of hearing loss.  Have your hearing checked by an audiologist every year. "With advanced technologies, the impact of hearing loss may be minimized. There is no reason for anyone to assume they must miss out on everyday sounds and begin to feel isolated," concluded Ms. Agin. For more information on hearing checkups, or to schedule an appointment with an audiologist visit: www.lexnyc.org or call: 718-350-3170. About Lexington The Lexington School/Center for the Deaf and its affiliates provide a full range of education and services for children and adults who are deaf and hard-of-hearing. The Lexington School for the Deaf, established in 1865, provides tuition-free education to over 350 profoundly deaf children ages from infants to 21 years of age. Lexington's affiliates include the Hearing and Speech Center, Center for Mental Health Services, and the Vocational Services Center. The Lexington Hearing and Speech Center, a New York State-certified Diagnostic and Treatment Center, provides comprehensive hearing diagnostic and treatment services to infants, children and adults. The comprehensive services supported by Lexington currently reach more than 3,000 New Yorkers annually and comprise a unique model of excellence in meeting the needs of deaf and hard-of-hearing New Yorkers. For more information visit: www.lexnyc.org. * According to data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.