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Take Care of Your Hearing for Improved Health, Life Quality, and Relationships – Family Hearing of Broomfield Recognizes Better Hearing Month
Take Care of Your Hearing for Improved Health, Life Quality, and Relationships
Family Hearing of Broomfield Recognizes Better Hearing Month
By Missy Ruzicka
May is Better Hearing monthand what better way to improve the relationships around you then to make sure you are doing everything you can to hear the world around you. I was lucky enough to have a conversation with Dr. Georgianna Hearne, of Family Hearing in Boulder. She is a Doctor of Audiology who enjoys getting to know her patients, helping them on their better hearing journey, and building individualized treatment plans.
Did you know that hearing loss is the biggest modifiable risk factor of dementia and Alzheimers? Even with mild hearing loss, you are at a higher risk for developing dementia. Family Hearing suggests yearly hearing appointments even without hearing difficulties. Dr. Hearne said often people don’t realize they are having hearing loss, and treating it proactively can aid in optimal brain health and set patients up for the most success down the road.
To start you can set up an appointment with a qualified professional at Family Hearing. They will go in-depth about your hearing history, and how your hearing is impacting your day-today life. They will then evaluate all three major parts of your ear to see if your hearing is normal, if there is a problem, and where it is taking place. Tests involve a visual look in the ear, test of your eardrum, and a sound test where you push a button when you hear a series of beeps. They will go over the results of the tests with you and build your treatment plan if necessary.
I know a lot of people who just ‘deal’ with hearing issues because they don’t want those dreaded hearing aids. Technology has come a long way since our grandma’s hearing aid that sang to us on holidays with horrible feedback noises. The hearing aids available today come in all sizes for all types of activity levels. The major misconception about hearing aids is it means you are old, which is just not true, they are for all ages and all levels of hearing loss. Hearing aids continue to become smaller and smaller but pack more power so you can properly treat hearing loss but have discreet options. I just got back from vacation with my aunt and her hearing aides were attached to her phone so she could turn them down when we were at a loud venue. How cool is that? I didn’t even know she had them in, they were so small.
I asked Dr. Hearne what she wanted to make sure our readers understand about hearing care and she said she can’t emphasize enough how important it is to get your hearing checked every year. There are several treatable reasons for hearing loss, but if you need a hearing aid they are smaller and clearer now than ever before. A main reason for hearing loss is noise exposure, so if you are around machinery, loud concerts or firearms, wear proper ear protection to help keep your ears safe! I’d like to thank Dr. Hearne for her time and knowledge sharing for this article.
