More than 28 million Americans have some degree of hearing loss, a number that could reach 78 million by 2030. According to the Virginia-based Better Hearing Institute, 18 percent of Baby Boomers and 7.4 percent of Generation Xers already have a hearing loss.

"Audiologists are seeing 20- and 30-year-olds with hearing like those who are 60," says Julee Sylvester, spokesperson for the Sight & Hearing Association.

Excessive noise is the leading culprit, and audiologists suspect that the problem is fueled by the proliferation of devices with amplified sound, namely cell phones and MP3 players, such as iPods, which send noise directly into the delicate ear canal.

In a recent informal study by the House Ear Institute, researchers found that the volume of digital audio players ranged from 91 to 121 decibels. Earphones that fit inside the ear increase the volume by 7 decibels to 9 decibels.

In Europe, iPods are legally capped at 100 decibels, but in the United States, there is no limit on the volume of personal music devices.

Human ears were originally meant to pick up the faintest sounds of predators stalking our long-ago ancestors - the snap of twigs in the forest, the rustle of grass on the savanna. The racket of modern life - motorcycles, car alarms, concerts, chain saws, shotguns - daily assaults our sensitive ears, destroying the fragile hair cells inside the inner ear which make it possible for us to hear.

In general, the louder the noise, the less time it takes to lose your hearing. A lawn mower (90 decibels) can damage hearing after eight hours of exposure. Stereo headphones (set at 100 decibels) can harm ears in two hours, while a rock concert (120 decibels) wreaks havoc in just 7.5 minutes.

The good news: Though hearing loss can't be reversed, reducing exposure to excessive noise, like quitting cigarettes, can improve your health and quality of life, no matter what your age.

"Your ears are the most compact, sensitively tuned, high-powered amplifiers available - anywhere," says Sylvester. "Learn to appreciate and protect them, because they're nonrefundable."

Kelty Shroyer is a bright, energetic 5-year-old. A kindergartner this fall, he's been reading chapter books since last year. However, during circle time in preschool, when the teacher would read the class a book, Kelty would need to sit by the teacher's feet just so he could hear her. Turns out, there was a problem with his hearing, and the Sight & Hearing Association was instrumental in finding it.

For two years, Kelty attended Noah's Ark Preschool in Circle Pines, where the Sight & Hearing Association has screened for many years. In 2004-2005, SHA referred more than 1,800 preschoolers for hearing concerns.

During the hearing screening, the Sight & Hearing Association performs two main tests: the pure tone audiometer (which registers the frequencies a person can hear) and the tympanometer (which measures the fluid in the inner ear).

The first year Kelty was screened, in April 2004, he passed the pure tone test but was referred for a flat tympanometer reading. His mom, Tracie, took him to a family doctor within a month.

"They put him in the booth to do the hearing test and said he could hear all of the tones," she recalls, "so his doctor was not concerned."

However, eight months later around Christmas time, Tracie and her husband, Bret, noticed a change in his behavior.

"Kelty has always talked loud, but he was constantly turning his head and repeating, 'What?' or saying 'I can't hear you.' We kind of thought he was always half-listening, but this started to concern us."

Screeners from the Sight & Hearing Association screened Kelty again on March 7, and this time he didn't pass either hearing test.

Right away, Tracie, contacted an SHA staff member to talk about the results. That he had not passed his screenings two years in a row was a huge red flag, even though the doctor Kelty had previously seen was not concerned.

"Because it had now been a whole year," Tracie says, "I wanted to know what was going on and what type of specialist I should take him to."

Three weeks later, they met Dr. Khabie, an ear-nose-throat specialist (ENT) in Coon Rapids. He said Kelty had significant hearing loss due in part to the fluid build-up in his ears.

"The day that we had the initial appointment with Dr. Khabie," explains Tracie, "we were leaving on vacation for Arizona. Kelty's ears were so plugged that the doctor said he wouldn't have any trouble flying because his ears were not going to pop - there was no way for air to get in there."

Kelty's mom recalls when it all really hit home. She had bought "The Incredibles" movie for the kids to watch on the airplane. Kelty held the player right in front of him and wore a headset. He couldn't hear anything - even with the volume turned all the way up.

The doctor prescribed an antibiotic and six weeks later, retested his hearing. This time, the infection was gone but the fluid remained. To get rid of the fluid, they scheduled him for surgery to have tubes inserted and his adenoids removed, which were affecting his breathing at night. Six weeks later, his hearing was normal.

"The screening definitely validated my concerns and made me a lot more of an advocate," Tracie says. "I would have continued to believe the first doctor we saw if Kelty had not had this screening. After surgery, Kelty said he felt like he had water in his ears. I'm so thankful he can hear now."

• Screeners logged approximately 3,600 hours screening
• Screeners drove more than 13,000 miles
• Approximately 11,000 kids were screened at more than 400 locations
• "Seemore," our friendly mascot, smiled from approximately 14,000 stickers
• This is all the work of twelve friendly, patient screeners
• On a more serious note, 680 children were referred for vision and 1,800 for hearing.

Mix It Up, located in Maple Grove, White Bear Township and the Mall of America, does all the hard work: the recipe research, the shopping, the chopping and the mopping! You come in and put together 8-14 entrees for your freezer. You store them in your freezer and then prepare them the day you need a fast, easy, delicious dinner. For more information about Mix It Up, visit www.mixitupmeals.com and click on "news and events."

Customers at various grocers and spectacle shops will have the opportunity to purchase and add their names to paper eyeglasses for $1 to help support the Sight & Hearing Association. The eyeglasses will be displayed near the checkout lanes and in reception areas.

Participating venues include Cooper's Super Valu stores on West 7th Street in St. Paul, Kowalski's on Grand, the Spectacle Shoppe and Four Seasons Eyecare.

Judy Lull was the friendly voice behind the phones for the Sight & Hearing Association (and its predecessor, the Minnesota Society for the Prevention of Blindness and Preservation of Hearing) for 11 years. She also wore many other hats, including computer guru, accounts payable and receivable, and office manager. In 1999, she left SHA to work for Mounds Park Academy in St. Paul.

However, since that time, she has never forgotten her SHA "family." Without fail, she has continued to volunteer at the SHA office every quarter to finish sorting and preparing the newsletters for mailing. This is a daunting task to the rest of us, but not to Judy.

Staff and board members salute Judy for her willing spirit, hard work and continued service to the Sight & Hearing Association. We appreciate her loyal dedication!

This spring was their last as screeners for Sight & Hearing Association - Lynne retired and Karry decided to stay home with her son. We want to thank both of them for their years of service to the SHA preschool screening program. We will miss them!