Proclamation - City Council - 5/24/2011 - Better Hearing Month BETTER HEARING MONTH
PROCLAMATION
WHEREAS, hearing healthcare professionals in Eagle observe and celebrate Better Hearing
Month each year during the month of May; and
WHEREAS, Eagle recognizes and values the efforts of all who work to eliminate or minimize
the isolating effects of communication disorders in the one in five families affected by them; and
WHEREAS, our citizens who have overcome communication disabilities through the services of
hearing healthcare professionals are now able to lead independent, productive, and fulfilling lives; and
WHEREAS, Eagle is proud and honored to have hearing healthcare professionals offering
quality education and health care services to its citizens.
WHEREAS,Tinnitus, often defined as "ringing in the ears," causes a person to hear ringing,
buzzing, or a variety of other sounds without an external cause, and to have a heightened sensitivity to
sound; tinnitus can be a debilitating condition, reducing the quality of life for those chronically affected;
and
WHEREAS,Tinnitus is most often the result of extreme noise exposure from either a single
impulse noise or the accumulation of noise exposure, but may also be caused by conditions such as an ear
infection,the use of certain drugs, a blocked auditory tube or canal, or a head injury; and
WHEREAS,As many as 50 million Americans experience tinnitus to some degree, of those,
approximately 16 million have chronic tinnitus and seek medical attention for their condition, and nearly
two million are debilitated by tinnitus; and
WHEREAS,Tinnitus is the number one service-related disability suffered by military personnel
returning from the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan; by 2014, the United States Department of
Veterans Affairs will be paying nearly $2.2 billion in tinnitus disability compensation annually to this
country's veterans; and
NOW,THEREFORE,I, James D. Reynolds,Mayor of Eagle,do hereby proclaim May 2011, as:
"Better Hearing Month"
and encourage all citizens to recognize the achievements of hearing healthcare professionals in improving
the quality of life for people with communication disorders.
DATED this 2411'day of May,2011.
/�•�.�. - • !L.,
James D. Re n Ids
Mayor of Eagle