Until recently, if you wanted to be treated for hearing loss or get hearing aids, you had one choice — see an audiologist or other licensed hearing care professional. Today, your options have gotten more complicated, with online-only retailers, big-box stores and, starting soon, over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids you can buy at places like Walgreens and CVS. Here’s the thing, though — seeing a hearing professional is still the best way to be treated for hearing ...
Everyone has their reasons for why they do certain things. Big things, like why they follow a particular career path or live in a specific city. And small, like what they’re going to have for dinner or wear to work today. Most times, the reasons are numerous and nuanced. Other times, it’s a single, simple reason that triggers the decision — like that they have chicken they need to use before it goes bad ...
In 1927, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) designated the month of May as Better Hearing and Speech Month. Their goal at the time was to raise awareness about speech and hearing challenges and — more importantly — encourage people to take action and treat their own hearing and speech problems. That mission is just as important today as it was then. Maybe more so. One reason why? Because if the past two years have taught us anything ...
Hearing aids are designed to be a large part of our daily lives and should be one of the first things on your packing list when it is time for a trip. Whether you are traveling for work or for fun, it is important to have a few tricks in mind when you travel with your hearing aids to ensure they are always in peak working condition and you never miss a thing! Power is ...
Recently, the FDA released its final regulations on over the counter hearing aids. This regulation introduced an entirely new category of hearing aids called "over the counter" or "OTC." OTC hearing aids officially became available Monday, October 17th, and will be an additional option to the existing category of hearing aids that the FDA now refers to as “prescription.” As the name suggests, OTC hearing aids will be available over the counter at pharmacies, various ...
Put some spring in your hearing! Google the season “spring” and you’ll see images of blooming flowers, butterflies and birds, or find quotes about gardens, happiness and new beginnings. We hear a lot from our hearing aid wearers that spring signals a time of planning and renewal. It’s the season many of you visit your hearing professional to get earwax buildup removed or bring your hearing aids in for a “spring cleaning”. It ...
A 2020 New York Times article headlined “Can Hearing Aids Help Prevent Dementia?” covers a lot of things we’ve known — and have been sharing with you — for years. Like that hearing loss is very common, that it’s a risk factor for things like cognitive decline, social isolation and dementia, and that too few people take it seriously. As you'd expect from the headline, the article focuses primarily on this link between hearing ...
Maybe it’s been this way for a while and we just didn't notice, but loneliness is getting a lot of attention from healthcare professionals lately. One obvious reason is COVID-19, which has forced people to socially distance or isolate themselves, and has severely limited in-person interactions, especially for older adults. Another reason is the increasing evidence of its negative effects on our health — like social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased mortality ...
It’s February, which, thanks to Valentine’s Day, is a good month to discuss matters of the heart. Plenty will be written and said about the heart’s connection to love. We’ll leave that topic to the relationship experts. Instead, we want to discuss the heart’s connection to hearing and hearing loss — a subject much more in our comfort zone. And studies show there is a connection. Turns out hearing health and ...
Today’s hearing fact probably isn’t something that comes to mind when you think about hearing loss. But — if you do think about it — makes a lot of sense. It’s also potentially much more consequential than, say, missing a punchline in your favorite sitcom or your name being called when your Starbucks mocha is ready. According to Reuters and the National Institute on Aging, untreated hearing loss can result in trouble understanding a ...
