How often do you ask people to repeat what they just said? Or get asked to repeat something yourself? If you find yourself in either situation, the cause could be either the speaker or the listener.

The month of May is dedicated to promoting better hearing and speaking, both of which are affected by medical conditions. First, let’s look at speech.

Dysphonia, commonly called hoarseness or raspy throat, is a common complaint affecting nearly one-third of our population at some point in life. Causes range from history of tobacco use to patients who are professional voice users. A more serious cause is head and neck cancer.

The other side of the conversation is hearing. Throughout the world, otolaryngologists (surgeons who do head and neck surgery) are recognizing the importance of hearing loss prevention with early detection and intervention.

Conversations are tough when there’s a lot of background noise or you’re interrupted frequently. However, if you or whoever you’re talking to requires repetition under quiet circumstances, it’s time to see if medical intervention is needed.

We are social animals and conversations are one of the best ways to enjoy each other’s company.

For more information, visit www.entnet.org It’s the site for the American Academy of Otolarngology.