Hearing loss has been shown to affect nearly every dimension of human life, including physical, emotional and mental health. Eric Jackson, World Champion and Olympic Kayaker, who has lived with hearing loss since a bout with scarlet fever as a child, knows this all too well.
Hearing loss is the most common neurologic disorder in the world, affecting around 460 million people. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 37.5 million adults report some trouble hearing. But it is an undertreated condition. An estimated 28.8 million U.S. adults with mild to severe hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids.
Untreated hearing loss brings higher risk of dementia, depression, memory loss, injury, and cognitive decline.
About Eric Jackson:
Eric Jackson is a four-time world champion and an Olympian who has dominated the whitewater kayaking scene for the past three decades. Eric has received numerous accolades for kayaking, including two Everest Awards and the World Paddle Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also an entrepreneur, motivational speaker and hosts his own popular videos on YouTube. In 1966 at the age of two, Eric contracted scarlet fever which caused him to completely lose his hearing in both ears. Eric is now 54 and his hearing has been partially restored over time; however, he still lives with severe hearing loss today and relies on hearing aids and lipreading as tools to help him communicate. Eric has never let hearing loss stop him from enjoying life and pursuing his ambitions. Today, Eric spends his free time helping others achieve their goals, coaching the winners of almost every gold medal winner in freestyle kayaking over the past 15 years, including his two children. Eric’s son, 27-year-old Dane, a world champion kayaker himself, also lives with severe hearing loss which he has had since birth
