1 in 4 who have hearing damage are unaware of it

“I can hear fine.” If you ever found yourself feeling this sentiment, you’re not alone. And if you ever found out you were wrong about it, take heart—you’re in good company.

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This just in—wearing hearing aids may help you live longer

The goal of the study was to find out if treating hearing loss with hearing aids could increase the likelihood of living longer. The people who wore hearing aids regularly had a nearly 25 percent reduced risk of early death compared to those who didn’t wear hearing aids regularly or at all.

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How to keep hearing healthy at the gym

How to keep hearing healthy at the gym

You may not even notice the high noise levels at first, amongst the upbeat, high-tempo pop music that often fills the background of the main gym. Or the cheerful yet commanding voice of your headset-wielding workout instructor. Both of which, are often blaring.

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Six ways My Starkey app makes the holidays easier and merrier

Six ways My Starkey app makes the holidays easier and merrier

Whether you’re shopping for gifts at the local mall or taking a break at your favorite cafe, My Starkey can help you maintain your best hearing with features that allow you to adjust your hearing aid settings plus customize them for places you frequent.

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Veterans face more hearing issues than any other health condition

Veterans face more hearing issues than any other health condition

More than 1.3 million veterans received disability compensation for hearing loss and more than 2.3 million received compensation for tinnitus in 2020 alone, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

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Classical musicians at greater risk of hearing loss than rock ‘n rollers

Classical musicians at greater risk of hearing loss than rock ‘n rollers

Whether you are a musician, music fan, or simply enjoy fascinating expert findings, today’s fact may perk up your ears: Why would classical musicians be more likely to have hearing loss than rock ‘n roll artists?

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Healthy aging begins with better hearing

Healthy aging begins with better hearing

What are some positives of aging that speak to you? If you’re having a little trouble getting your list together, don’t despair: Healthy Aging Month was created as an opportunity to choose happiness for your future by taking active steps to maintain your physical and mental well-being. And where to begin isn’t as daunting as you may think.

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Hearing screenings typically absent from routine doctor exams

A medical professional holding a clipboard looks towards a man, her patient, who is also masked and sitting on a table. In the foreground are lilies on a table.

This post originally appeared on Starkey.com

Today’s fact headlining the lack of hearing screenings at routine doctor exams may surprise you—or not.

If you’re surprised: It’s probably because you’ve been keeping up with the mounting research that strongly links hearing loss with dementia, cognitive decline, depression, loneliness, and falls.

If you’re not surprised: You may be familiar with the current state of shorter appointments in the U.S. and let’s face it—it’s not uncommon for physicians to prioritize other tests, labs, and questions before hearing. You’ve likely “been there,” and realize if you had any hearing loss concerns, it would be your role to mention them to the physician.

Regular hearing screenings are essential to your health

While the reasoning behind the lack of hearing screenings at routine exams isn’t clear-cut, we can take today’s fact as a reminder of how important it is to prioritize our hearing health. Regular hearing exams not only are the first step in helping to prevent the long-term detriments of hearing loss, such as dementia, but also play an immediate role in the early intervention of age-related hearing loss—which is gradual and often difficult to detect. As a result, people may not even realize they have hearing loss until it is further along and more challenging to treat.

On a positive note, the case integrating hearing screenings into regular health exams appears to be gaining some momentum: The esteemed National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, for example, recently recommended routine doctor hearing screenings in a published report titled Hearing Health Care for Adults: Priorities for Improving Access and Affordability.

But while progress continues to grow, taking care of our hearing is up to us.

Fortunately, there are two things you can do:

Option 1: Tell your physician about hearing concerns

If you think you may have hearing loss, or even if you’re unsure, tell your physician. They can refer you to a licensed hearing care professional in the same way they might refer you to a dermatologist for skin issues. A hearing specialist will have the equipment and expertise to evaluate your hearing and counsel you through treatment options for any hearing issues you may be experiencing.

Option 2: Visit a hearing care professional yourself

As it stands, experts recommend having your hearing screened every three years once you’re 50. So, you can feel empowered to make it a part of annual health checks. Hearing evaluations are simple and pain-free, and can easily be set up with a hearing care professional near you.

For a head start, simply type your zip code in here to generate a list of local providers. They will be happy to show you how your hearing is doing, and as mentioned, discuss treatment if needed.

If you’re interested in a hearing test, visit your closest Land of Lincoln Hearing office to learn more about your hearing health.

How to know when it's time to get new hearing aids

How to know when it's time to get new hearing aids

We use and enjoy our technology to the fullest. But in the back of our minds, we also have that feeling that, one day, our much-loved device will run its course and need to be replaced. Oftentimes, this is simply the culmination of the wear-and-tear process—which yes, includes hearing aids.

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