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Regular hearing checkups are a good idea

If you’re proactive about your health and well-being — and more of us are today than ever before — then you may already test your hearing regularly.

But if you don’t and you want to know why you should, keep reading.

Benjamin Franklin famously said “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Even if you don’t know the saying, it’s most likely a philosophy you put into practice in many aspects of your life.

You get your teeth cleaned twice a year in hopes of warding off future cavities. You take your car in for oil changes and tune-ups to ensure it stays in optimal driving condition for as long as possible. You check your eyes, get physicals and blood labs, roto-root your sewer and have your HVAC system inspected and serviced regularly — all because those things are enormously important, and issues with them can be awfully consequential.

We should approach our hearing the same way. It can be enormously important to us, and its impact reaches beyond just our ears.

Hear better, live better

We’ve always believed that when you hear better you live better. It’s why we made it our tagline. Hearing your best keeps you connected and informed, safe and engaged, confident and independent.

Hearing your best can enhance relationships with friends and family, and make listening to music, watching TV and movies, and partaking in nature, activities and events more enjoyable and immersive.

As one of only five senses we have, hearing is enormously important to us.

Untreated hearing loss is not a good idea

Research shows, on the other hand, that hearing loss left untreated is linked to numerous consequential issues, like decreased cognitive function, higher incidences of hospitalizations, depression and falls, and increased risk of social isolation and dementia.

You can see why staying on top of your hearing health is a wise and desired practice.

Yet for many of us, the last time we had our hearing checked was, well, probably a long time ago. Consumer Reports notes that 30 percent of people have gone more than a decade without getting their hearing tested, or have never had it tested at all!

Instead, many wait until they have difficulty before getting their hearing tested. Even then, on average, people wait 10 years before seeking help. Could you imagine living with high cholesterol or high blood pressure or diabetes for a dozen years before taking action?

Being proactive is easier than you think

All this is points back to the blog title — regular hearing checkups are a good idea. And if you work in a noisy environment or participate in hobbies or activities where sound is notoriously loud, regular hearing checkup are especially smart.

There are free hearing screenings you can take online as often as you like. Of course you also can and should find a local hearing professional (just as you found a dentist and doctor and chiropractor and…) — one who has the diagnostic tools and expertise to keep tabs on your hearing and help you if needed.

That same Consumer Reports article referenced above points out that “most insurance — including Medicare — will cover the cost of a comprehensive exam” as long as you get a referral from your doctor.

Early treatment may help prevent later issues

No matter our age, early detection of health concerns offers the best options for treatment and better overall health, and our hearing health is no different. As Benjamin Franklin also wisely said, “Never leave that till tomorrow which you can do today.”

Four ways hearing better can help you age better

We all want to stay healthy and happy as we age. Exercising and eating right are two obvious things we can do to help. But did you know hearing our best has a big impact, too? Here are four ways hearing your best can help you age your best.

Hearing your best helps keep you social

When we hear clearly and without limitations, it’s easier to be engaged, maintain connections, feel a part of conversations, and stay socially active. 

People who struggle hearing, on the other hand, often decide it’s easier to avoid social situations. They may turn down invitations, limit interactions, and can become socially withdrawn.  

Did you know?

Research shows that people who enjoy social relationships are more likely to live longer than those who are isolated and lonely.1

Hearing your best helps keep you alert and in control

Our sense of hearing plays a huge role in how confident we are and how safe we feel when we’re out and about. When we hear clearly, our spatial awareness opens up and we’re able to distinguish and react to audible cues that warn us of safety issues.

People who can’t hear like they once could are more likely to miss warning cues, feel less confident in surroundings outside their home, and are more at risk of accidents and injuries.

Did you know?

Individuals with good hearing are 2X less likely to experience accidental injuries2 and 3X less likely to have a history of falling than those with hearing loss.3

Hearing your best can help keep you mentally sharp

Numerous studies have linked hearing loss to dementia4, a mental health challenge the World Health Organization predicts will triple by 20505.

Experts attribute the connection to the fact that hearing loss leads to social isolation (a known risk factor for dementia), that it accelerates brain shrinkage, and that it forces the brain to “steal” energy needed for memory and thinking.

Did you know?

An international commission on dementia prevention recently confirmed that treating hearing loss in midlife is the largest modifiable risk factor for the prevention of dementia.6

Hearing your best brings you joy

More than anything else, hearing our best helps keep us positive and vibrant. Whether it’s listening to the laughter of friends, the sound of a symphony, a child’s first words, ocean waves lapping, or a bird singing outside the window, hearing keeps us engaged, optimistic, and connected to the world around us.

Did you know?

According to the AARP, optimism and a positive outlook adds 7.5 years to our life and an 80 percent reduction in cardiovascular risk.7

12 Reasons to Get Livio Edge AI Custom Rechargeable Hearing Aids

If you’ve been holding out on getting hearing aids because you were waiting for something that didn’t scream “hearing aid!” while also offering unheard of sound quality and high-tech, life-just-got-way-easier features, well then you know how the next paragraph begins.

Hold out no longer and check out Livio Edge AI custom rechargeable hearing aids. Custom hearing aids have been around a long time — and Starkey has always been the undisputed leader in their manufacturing — but these are the first and only smartphone-connected rechargeable custom hearing aids.

For many, the fact that there is finally a rechargeable custom hearing aid will be enough to hop off the fence. For others, that they don’t sit behind your ears like traditional hearing aids shojld make inquiring minds want to know more.

For everyone else, here are a dozen reasons why it’s time to finally look into getting hearing aids — or to swap out your old pair for something better.

  1. Because sound quality is king — and these are our best sounding hearing aids yet!
  2. You can charge them while you sleep and they’re good to go all day.
  3. They were named “most tech-forward hearing aids” by Healthline.
  4. Your teenage grand/daughter will think they “create a vibe.” (My 19-year old daughter assures me that’s a good thing.)
  5. They won’t budge when you wear or remove your mask.
  6. You can listen to podcasts (and nature!) while you’re walking your dog (or going for a hike).
  7. There are no batteries to worry about, fumble with or buy.
  8. They are custom molded to you ear — so they’re snug, comfortable and your kids can’t “borrow” and “misplace” them (like kids are prone to do with cool gadgets).
  9. If you don’t like missing out on conversations and social activities, you won’t with these.
  10. No one knows they’re hearing aids — they just look like futuristic earpods.
  11. You can talk on the phone with them, hands-free, without missing a beat.
  12. There’s not another pair out there that’s exactly like yours!

I Have Hearing Loss – Now What?

What to do if you think you have hearing loss

Most people who have hearing loss aren’t born with it. Instead, hearing loss creeps up on us over time, usually caused by exposure to loud noises, aging, or some combination of the two.

Statistics show that the prevalence of hearing loss doubles for every decade of life, which explains why one out of three people 65-74 have hearing loss, nearly half over 75 have it, and four out of five people 85+ have hearing loss.

In other words, for most of us, hearing loss is normal and natural — just part of living a long, eventful life.

In this blog, we’ll walk through what you should do if and when the inevitableness of hearing loss happens to you.

Get your hearing tested

If you think you have hearing loss — either by exhibiting common signs, or because your spouse, friends, coworkers or family members keep questioning your hearing ability — you should get your hearing tested.

To do that, you can start with an online hearing test (take our free one) — or you can visit a hearing professional to get a thorough, definitive hearing evaluation.

Choose between ignoring it…

If it turns out you have hearing loss, you have a choice — you can ignore it and deal with the challenges, or you can treat it.

Some of the challenges of hearing loss are subtle and barely noticeable, like needing things to be repeated, or missing out on small everyday sounds.

Some are more obvious and impactful, like mishearing important information, or feeling left out of conversations and activities.

Still others can be profound, health-related issues, like how hearing loss is linked to increased risks of depression, anxiety, falls and hospitalizations, social isolation, and even dementia.

…or treating it

But doctors and scientists from institutions including Johns Hopkins Medicine and Columbia University have long noted that treating hearing loss can help with many of these challenges, and studies have shown that for people with hearing loss, using a hearing aid is associated with a reduced risk of falls, depression, anxiety and dementia.

Visit a hearing healthcare professional

When you are ready to treat your hearing loss — and Johns Hopkins’ Dr. Frank Lin recommends treating it “sooner rather than later…before these brain structural changes take place” — you can start by talking to your doctor or general practitioner (GP). Or, go directly to a hearing healthcare professional, like an otolaryngologist (ENT doctor), audiologist or hearing aid specialist.

Get to the bottom of your hearing loss

Your appointment with a hearing healthcare professional is your chance to get all your questions answered about your hearing loss. While not every practice or clinic will do things exactly the same, you should expect some common procedures when you go in for your first visit.

  • Fill out paperwork — including intake papers with health history and hearing questionnaire.
  • Complete a hearing evaluation — this typically includes a visual inspection of your ears and a hearing test in a sound booth.
  • Review your audiogram — the results of your test will be in the form of an audiogram, which is a graph that measures your specific hearing loss.
  • Discuss treatment options and next steps — this may include a technology demonstration and hearing aid recommendation.

Ask to try hearing aids

If hearing loss is confirmed during your appointment, hearing aids will most likely be recommended.Hearing aids are by far the most common way to treat hearing loss. They can help a majority of people who have hearing issues, especially if the hearing aids have been fit by an experienced professional, and programmed and customized to the individual’s unique hearing and lifestyle needs.

Most states require a 30- to 60-day trial period for hearing aids. And even in states that don’t, most hearing professionals will offer it. This is a no-brainer opportunity to try them for yourself and experience the difference they can make in your everyday life.

Request ones that are tailored to you

Hearing aids are not one-size-fits-all. That’s why getting them in-person — from a licensed professional — is the way to go. The two of you will work closely to select the right hearing aids for you, which will be based on many factors including your degree of loss, personal style and feature preferences, how active you are, and more.

Experience the difference they make

Once you get your hearing aids, take advantage of the trial period and wear them at home, outside, during work, while watching TV or enjoying leisure activities, and around your friends and loved ones.

See and experience for yourself why so many hearing aid wearers say that wearing them changed their life and how they wish they had treated their hearing loss much, much sooner.

All Ears: How often should I replace my hearing aids?

Today’s hearing aids are more sophisticated than ever before. They utilize the most advanced microelectronics, wireless radios, and computer processors, and they are built to exacting specifications to offer the best hearing possible. This includes being as resistant to moisture, dust and dirt as a high-tech instrument that sits in your ear all day can be. However, this does not mean hearing aids never break down or never need to be replaced.

If hearing aids are worn in the manner they are designed to be worn — meaning every day all day long — then they are guaranteed to be exposed to some pretty rough environments. This can include perspiration, body oils, ear wax, hair spray, lotion, makeup, rain, humidity, dust, pollen, etc. Add to that, hearing aids get dropped, rattled around in purses and back packs, twisted and turned while putting them in and taking them out, and much more. Overall, they take quite a beating but keeping performing.

A five-year lifespan is typical

That said, the average life of a hearing aid is around five years. This is assuming the wearer cleans and maintains the hearing aids regularly and has their hearing healthcare professional check and clean the aids at least every six months.

Still, in that five-year period, it is not unusual for hearing aids to require few repairs. Once hearing aids reach the five-year mark, investing in new hearing aids vs. repairing old ones is something to seriously think about. As durable as today’s hearing aids are, over time the components will break down from daily exposure to the elements. At this point, new hearing aids are a much better investment than continuing to repair the old ones.

Hearing aid technology gets better every year

Purchasing new devices won’t just provide you with a more reliable set of hearing aids. In the time you wore those older devices, hearing aid technology will have advanced. Significantly. This means better sound quality, better hearing in noise, advancements in wireless technology, more accessory options, and more life-enhancing features.

As with all technology, hearing aids are constantly getting better and better. Investing in new hearing aids regularly provides wearers with reliable hearing aids that provide the best hearing possible, which is always the most important thing. And with hearing aids, the return on investment is often priceless.

Stress Relief Tips and Tactics

During these uncertain times of COVID-19, many of us are feeling increased levels of stress — whether it’s stress about our health or the health of a loved one, stress about our finances or job, the future of the economy, or…(fill in your own stress here). Just know that these feelings are all completely valid.

You’ve likely seen more media coverage on these topics in recent weeks. Maybe you’ve even confided in a mental health practitioner, a friend, or a family member about these feelings. These are all great steps, but you still may be wondering things like, “why do I feel so alone?” or “how do I cope with feelings of loneliness and isolation?”

While it may feel like you can’t control the environment we’re living in right now because of COVID-19, what you can control is your reaction to it. A positive reaction to stressful environments can help improve physical health and well-being, reduce depression, and improve the immune system.

You can help manage your stress by taking care of both your physical and mental health on a daily basis. Here are two tactics you can use:

Engage in physical activity

You don’t have to be a marathon runner to maintain or improve your physical health and enjoy the proven benefits of physical activity. 10,000 steps a day, every day, will result in improved cardiovascular function. Additionally, physical activity can help reduce anxiety, frustration, anger, and overall mood distress when compared to individuals who are more sedentary and don’t exercise daily.

Ready for the good news? If you wear Livio® AI or Livio Edge AI hearing aids, your steps are being tracked, whether you have a smartphone with you or not. This tracking can help motivate you to reach your goal!

Find and utilize tools that help you relax

During COVID-19, it is crucial to find a variety of tools that help you push the pause button and reduce stress in the middle of a hectic day. Perhaps your relaxation tool is to practice mediation. First, find your happy place. Maybe it’s on a beach while you listen to waves crash in, sitting by a lake on calm night, or enjoying the snowy, quiet mountains.

To fully envelope yourself in this happy place, try streaming a YouTube video with audio from these nature scenes through your Livio® AI hearing aids. Focus solely on your breathing during this time.

It’s important to keep in mind that we’re all approaching this global pandemic from different perspectives and different circumstances. The challenges can be even greater for adults and children with hearing loss. So, please remember, we’re all in this together.

I can hear but I can’t understand

One of the first things people with hearing loss observe is “I hear people fine, but I don’t understand what they are saying.”

This is a consistent complaint of individuals who are experiencing the effects of a “sloping high frequency hearing loss.“

What’s happening and why do so many have this complaint?

Hearing loss involves not only our ears, but also our brain: where sound waves are coded by the ears and then translated into meaningful words. While hearing loss can present itself in varying degrees of severity in different frequencies, a very common progression of inner ear hearing loss is sloping high frequency hearing loss.

We commonly measure hearing from 250 to 8000 Hz. Individuals with “high frequency” hearing loss have no loss at frequencies below 1000 Hz (lower pitched frequencies), but have abnormal results in the range of 1000 to 8000 Hz (higher pitched frequencies). High frequency hearing loss is one of the most common variances of hearing loss there is.

Graph comparing pitch versus frequency of alphabet
An audiogram of what sloping, high-frequency hearing loss looks like

Different speech signals produce different frequencies

When examining human speech signals, we see that there are lower pitched sounds or vowels (A, E, I, O and U) and higher pitched sounds or consonants (S,F , Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H). Being able to hear vowels in the lower pitched frequencies gives us a sensation of hearing speech, but not being able to hear higher pitched sound or “consonants” is what compromises our ability to understand full words. (So we hear, but we don’t understand.)

The high-pitched frequencies where consonants occur is where the discrimination of different words happen. When we have high-frequency hearing loss, we lose the ability to hear the “consonant” sounds efficiently and, thus, our ability to tell the difference between words such as ‘Cat” or “Hat”.

Key sounds and letters aren’t heard clearly

Imagine having a book with every S, F, Th, Sh, Ch, K, P and H erased. You could read part of the book and understand some of it, but you would not be able to understand many key words and phrases and, as a result, be challenged to understand it. This is what is happening with a high frequency hearing loss. You can hear part of the message, however your high frequency loss has “erased” the key sounds or letters needed for discrimination and understanding.

Luckily, high frequency hearing loss can usually be helped with proper diagnosis and appropriate amplification. Plus, now with the transcribe feature on Livio® AI hearing aids, you can transcribe a conversation into text, to help ensure you never miss a word or phrase again

Five things you should know about tinnitus

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 50 million Americans experience tinnitus. That’s over 15 percent of the U.S. population, or nearly one in every six of us.

So what is this condition that affects so many people — and what can tinnitus sufferers do about it? We cover the basics here.

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is the medical term for the sensation of hearing sound in your ears when no external sound is present. In most cases, tinnitus is a subjective sound, meaning only the person who has it can hear it. Typically, sufferers describe the sound as “ringing in ears,” though others describe it as hissing, buzzing, whistling, roaring and even chirping.

Just as the sound may be different for each person, the effects of tinnitus are different for every individual, too. For some, it is sporadic and “not that bad.” For others, tinnitus never stops and can make daily life awful.

But one thing everyone with tinnitus has in common is a desire for relief. For most, this desire is so great they will try anything to make their tinnitus less annoying, including resorting to acupuncture, eardrops, herbal remedies, hypnosis and more.

What causes tinnitus?

Scientists and health experts have yet to pinpoint the exact cause of tinnitus. But several sources are known to trigger or worsen ringing in the ears, including:

  • Loud noises and hearing loss — Exposure to loud noises can destroy the non-regenerative cilia (tiny hairs) in the cochlea, causing permanent tinnitus and/or hearing loss. Noise-induced tinnitus is often the result of exposure to loud environmental noises, such as working in a factory setting, with or around heavy machinery, or even a single event like a gunshot or loud concert.
  • Aging — Natural aging, too, gradually destroys the cilia, and is a leading cause of hearing loss. Tinnitus is a common symptom of age-related hearing loss.
  • Ototoxic medications – Some prescription medications such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antidepressants, diuretics and others can be ototoxic, meaning they are harmful to the inner ear as well as the nerve fibers connecting the cochlea to the brain.
  • Hearing conditions – Conditions such as Ménière’s disease are known to cause tinnitus.
  • Health conditions – Tinnitus has been associated with a number of health conditions, including:
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
    • Thyroid problems
    • Fibromyalgia and chronic pain
    • Head or neck trauma
    • Jaw misalignment
    • Auditory, vestibular or facial nerve tumors
    • Stress and fatigue

Is there a cure for tinnitus?

Currently, there is no known cure for tinnitus. However, according to the American Tinnitus Association (ATA), there are a few established therapies and tinnitus treatment options. Because there is no cure, the ATA notes, “the primary objective for all currently available tinnitus treatment options is to lower the perceived burden of tinnitus.”

Hearing aids are one tinnitus treatment option the ATA lists, with hearing professionals reporting that 60 percent of their tinnitus patients experience relief when wearing them.

Sound therapy is another treatment option listed by the ATA, which notes that hearing aids are an effective component to most sound therapy protocols.

Sound therapy — and hearing aids — work by masking the tinnitus sound and reducing the perception and intensity of any “ringing in the ears.” This helps take your mind off of your tinnitus, which helps lower its burden.

People most at risk for tinnitus

What should you do if you or someone you know has tinnitus?

Since the exact cause of tinnitus is not known, the ATA recommends you visit your primary care provider and a hearing healthcare professional for evaluation. This evaluation helps them determine if tinnitus is present and what may be causing it. Specialized tests are performed to evaluate the auditory system. Some of these tests measure the specific features of the tinnitus itself, and could include:

  • Audiogram
  • Evoked response audiometry
  • Tinnitus pitch match
  • Tinnitus loudness match

How can you get tinnitus relief?

While there is no cure for tinnitus, ’s hearing aids with proprietary Multiflex Tinnitus Technology have been clinically proven to provide relief for ringing in the ears.

Multiflex Tinnitus Technology enhances the masking capabilities of hearing aids even more by creating a customizable and comforting sound stimulus that you and your hearing professional can fine-tune. This sound stimulus soothes the unique, irritating sounds you hear — so you can get your mind off your tinnitus and get your life back.

Why You Should Choose Personalized Care Over a Big Box Store

When it comes acquiring hearing aids, it’s important to take your time and do your research to find the best device to satisfy your hearing needs. After all, a hearing aid is a complex and advanced medical device, not a temporary accessory to be picked up alongside your groceries.

Additionally, having an acute understanding of hearing aid technologies and how they correlate to your very specific and unique level of hearing loss without the assistance of a hearing specialist is near impossible.

Most individuals are tempted to turn to big box stores in search of a bargain. We can’t blame people for being bargain shoppers (we’re right there with you!) but price should not be the single deciding factor when selecting a hearing aid. We’ve all heard the old adage “You get what you pay for.”

At best, getting your hearing device from a big box store means you’re missing out on valuable services such as hearing aid programming, custom fit devices, regular maintenance, and other aftercare benefits. These services are essential to ensuring your hearing aid is properly treating your individual hearing loss. At worst, you waste your money and time on a hearing aid that will not suitably address your hearing loss or could possibly damage your hearing even further.

The Advantages of Purchasing a Hearing Aid from a Local Provider

A qualified hearing health provider is someone who has been professionally trained in the science of hearing health and is equipped with an understanding of hearing related disorders. Hearing Instrument Specialists are able to diagnose, evaluate, and treat an individual’s hearing loss with incredible success and accuracy. It is difficult to believe anyone would leave their hearing health up to the for-profit approach of a big box store.

With personalized care and attention, a local hearing healthcare provider offers…

Hearing Health Benefits Over Profits

Hearing health professionals offer their services and treatment of hearing loss for the sole goal of improving their patient’s health and wellbeing. Their livelihood and professional reputation lie in their ability to change lives for the better.

The reality of big box and retail stores is that they are without question; profit-driven. They’re able to purchase hearing devices at bulk prices and equipped with the standard basic technologies so they may sell as many devices as possible as quickly as possible.

This leavesmany consumers at a huge disadvantage when they realize their hearing loss isn’t being properly treated and they have no professional support network to assist them with the many aftercare services they will eventually need. No matter where you purchase a hearing aid, it will require professional programming, cleaning, and repair at some point. Not to mention your hearing loss will change over time and investing in the right device today will save you time, money, and headaches tomorrow.

Personally Selected Hearing Aids & Technology

A local hearing health provider is instrumental in helping you understand the pros and cons of each hearing aid style, technology, feature, and accessory. This knowledge will allow you to choose the hearing aid style and level of technology that is right for you. Differences in lifestyle, dexterity, aesthetics, and of course, hearing loss severity determine which aid will be the perfect fit. A hearing provider will guide you to the best hearing aid to treat your specific level of hearing loss.

Hearing loss is a complicated issue that cannot be fixed with a one-size-fits-all approach, many areas of your life are affected by hearing loss and getting the most out of your hearing device can be life-changing. Quality personalized care makes all the difference.

Personalized Hearing Health Care

When you utilize the services of a local hearing provider, you’ll receive personally tailored services long after you take your hearing aid home. Not only will a local hearing provider make certain you have selected the correct device for your level of hearing loss but they will also custom fit, program, and teach you how to fully utilize your new device. On top of all that, they can provide cleaning and maintenance services, performance updates, and conduct annual hearing tests to help you record and monitor your hearing loss.

If ever you have a question or concern regarding your hearing aid, you can be certain a local hearing provider will be there to assist you. Try calling the customer support line at a big box store and you will soon learn they are not the qualified hearing professionals you may have thought them to be.

The Disadvantages of Purchasing a Hearing Aid from a Big Box Store

Limited Style & Technology

Big box stores often carry narrow selections of hearing aid styles that are actually limited versions of comparable models designed specifically for bulk sales with a one size fits all approach. They will not offer the latest technologies and as a consequence, may not be the best option for your specific level of hearing loss. When purchasing a hearing aid, you want to be certain you are getting the best device for your type hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget.

Lack of Post-Purchase Services

Many large retail stores do not offer any services past the point of sale. This means if your hearing aid ever requires unique maintenance, adjustment, or cleaning (and they certainly will) you will be forced to pay for these extra services out of pocket.

Even worse, if a retailer does not have a hearing health care specialist on staff, you will have to ship your hearing aids to the manufacturer for maintenance. This could leave you without your hearing devices for possibly weeks and without a loner device while you wait.

No Professional Recommendation or Fitting

Hearing aids are intricate medical devices, because of this, they need to be programmed, tuned, and adjusted to meet the needs of your specific level of hearing loss. It is not uncommon for hearing aids to require multiple adjustments over multiple appointments during your hearing aid acclimation period.

When you purchase hearing aids from a big box store, you may not be certain whether they will be suitable for your type of hearing loss, if they will fit comfortably within your ear canal, or if they can withstand the demands of your lifestyle or living environment.

Choose Personalized Patient Care & Hearing Health

The bottom line is; when you buy your hearing aids from a big box store, you really don’t know what you’re getting. A quality device? A fair price? Professional care? Probably not. But buying your hearing aids through a local hearing health care provider gives you peace of mind and professional compassionate care.

You can be certain you are getting it all; focused hearing health care, reputable hearing devices, and the services you’ll need to support your hearing for the long term.

Start your journey towards better hearing health with the help of highly trained professionals. We promise high-quality hearing aids paired with high-quality service, take charge of your hearing health today by scheduling a comprehensive hearing test with your local hearing health specialist.

Resolve to Hear Better in 2019: Steps for Getting Your First Hearing Test

Get a head start on your New Year’s resolution by taking charge of your hearing health today. By age 55, the odds of an individual experiencing hearing loss is 1 in 4. By age 65, that increases to 1 in 2. Hearing loss is among the most common sensory conditions experienced by aging Americans and has become a serious health and societal issue. Ignoring your hearing loss can have significant negative impacts on your health and wellbeing.

It’s never too late to make an improvement in your life and taking a comprehensive hearing test can open up a whole world of possibilities, empowerment, and motivation.

Why it’s Worth Getting Your Hearing Tested

The most important reason for getting a hearing test is to identify and confirm whether or not you are experiencing hearing loss. If you think you are suffering from hearing loss, a consultation with a hearing professional can save you from years of hearing difficulty, or worse, permanent hearing loss.

Here are some primary reasons why you should schedule a hearing test today:

  • It’s Quick & Accurate – Depending on severity, a hearing test takes less than an hour and includes several auditory assessments, ear anatomy inspections, and a thorough analysis and review of test results.
  • Provides a Solution Driven Analysis – a hearing test identifies your level of hearing loss, if any, allowing your hearing specialist to provide you with effective solutions and options to treat your specific hearing loss.
  • Improves Physical Health – Uncorrected hearing loss affects us in more ways than once thought. Straining to hear is exhausting work and can result in fatigue and tiredness. Also, a loss of hearing affects our equilibrium, limiting awareness and increasing your risk of falling by 3 times that of someone without hearing loss.
  • Supports Mental Health – Hearing loss has been connected to the early onset of dementia and mental decline. The mind is like a muscle and requires regular stimulation. When we have difficulty hearing we often miss out on regular conversation and the exchange of information. If hearing loss goes untreated, it can strain relationships with family and friends often leading to social isolation and depression.

How Do I Schedule My Hearing Test?

Whether you are a new or returning patient, scheduling your hearing test appointment is fast and intuitive. Our online appointment scheduler is easy to understand and allows you to select a date and time that works with your own personal schedule.

Here you can also add any additional contact information or comments you would like your hearing specialist to know. Likewise, if you have immediate questions or just prefer to speak to a person, you may call your local office direct and a friendly staff member will be happy to assist you.

What Happens During My Hearing Test?

On the day of your appointment, here’s what you can expect:

  • Your hearing instrument specialist will ask you several hearing-related questions. Questions may regard your medical and family history of hearing loss, your lifestyle both in and outside your home, and any hearing or ear-related symptoms you may be experiencing.
  • Your inner and outer ears will be visually inspected for any evident signs of an underlying medical condition or abnormality that may be contributing to your hearing loss. This is also to ensure any hearing loss is not being caused by any debris build-up.
  • You will receive multiple auditory tests, which will help your hearing specialist assess your level of hearing loss. These tests may include:
    • A Tone Test to determine how softly you can hear tones at varying pitches.
    • A Speech Test where you will be asked to repeat back words or sentences heard at varying volumes.
    • A Pressure Test to measure your eardrums flexibility and capacity for transmitting sound.
  • After all necessary testing is complete, your hearing specialist will discuss with you your results in a clear and concise manner. Once your level of hearing loss has been established, your hearing specialist will make their professional recommendation and present you with all available treatment options, which may include the use of a hearing aid.

Note that it is not uncommon to be recommended a reevaluation of your hearing a few months after your initial appointment in order to track any changes in your hearing. This helps to ensure you are receiving the best possible hearing health care.

What You Can Learn from Your Hearing Test

The information you can take away from your hearing test includes:

  • An understanding of your current hearing health.
  • A “roadmap” to your best hearing health with recommended treatment options.
  • Peace of mind and the confidence needed to take the next step on your hearing health journey.

Once your hearing test is complete and you have a much better understanding of your overall hearing health, it is important for adults over age 55 to schedule annual hearing tests. This is vital in maintaining your hearing health and allows you to prevent your hearing loss from worsening or becoming irreversible.

A Great New Year Begins With Better Hearing

When it comes down to it, getting a hearing test is definitely worth it. Your hearing directly impacts so many aspects of your life. Your personal relationships, mental and physical health, and even your career. Be proactive and treat your hearing loss before it becomes a serious problem.

Take charge of your hearing health by scheduling a comprehensive hearing test today!

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