Category: soundanswerswny

Good news! In November 2021, the U.S. House of Representatives passed an amended version of the Build Back Better Bill (H.R. 5376) that includes several hearing-related provisions. If enacted, this bill would add coverage of treatment services offered by audiologists for the first time in Medicare’s history. This marks a great stride in offering hearing… Continue reading New Medicare Hearing Benefits Added to the Build Back Better Bill and Passed by the House of Representatives

If you wear hearing aids, you probably know that from time to time, they need to be programmed. Whether you are getting the right fit on new hearing aids or need to adjust the programming after some use, you might want to simply do it yourself. Although a hearing aid professional should always be the… Continue reading Can I Program My Own Hearing Aids?

Do you know how often you should be getting your hearing tested, particularly once you are over the age of 55? A February 2020 study of 2,000 UK adults found that those over the age of 55 believed they should have their hearing checked every three years, yet the average amount of time since they… Continue reading Should Hearing Tests Be Mandatory?

It’s December and 2022 is right around the corner. Have you started thinking about your new year’s resolutions yet? In 2020, the most common resolution was to exercise more. (This same resolution was made by 46 percent of those who made new year’s resolutions!) If exercising more is one of your new year’s resolutions for… Continue reading Is One of Your Goals in the New Year to Exercise More? Well, There is a Link Between Exercise and Hearing Loss

Do you remember the Life Alert commercials that made famous the phrase, “Help! I’ve fallen and I can’t get up”? While young people might find those ads rather humorous, falling is no joke. For older people, falling can be a significant fear—and a real risk. Balance naturally declines with age, which makes older people more… Continue reading The Connection Between Hearing Loss and Increased Fall Risk

When you think of getting older, you might think of physical changes like hair turning gray or white, skin becoming more wrinkled, or increased difficulty in getting around. Hearing loss or vision loss may also come to mind—after all, it’s almost a stereotype for older people to wear reading glasses and hearing aids. In reality,… Continue reading Hearing Loss & Vision Loss Double the Risk for Dementia

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month! To any of you who are battling breast cancer, have in the past, or have loved ones who have, we love and support you! We support ongoing medical research and remain optimistic that a cure is on the horizon. If we take a look at women’s health holistically, did… Continue reading The Unexpected Connection Between Hearing Loss, Menopause, and Tinnitus

Happy October! October means many things—it’s finally starting to feel like autumn in many places, and Halloween is coming up. But did you know that October is also National Audiology Awareness Month? This is the perfect time to assess your own hearing health. Of course, you don’t need to evaluate your hearing health on your… Continue reading How to Advocate for Your Hearing Health

Hearing loss may seem like a black and white issue—either you have hearing loss or you have normal hearing. You would think hearing loss would be fairly easy to self-diagnose, too, since you would notice when you cannot hear properly. However, there are some gray, in-between areas when it comes to hearing loss. You might… Continue reading Do You Have Trouble Hearing Clearly—But Are Not Sure If You Have Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss can bring a lot of change to your life. Of course, there’s the major change of not being able to hear all of the sounds that you once did. Untreated hearing loss can also alter your relationships with your spouse, family, friends, and coworkers, as you can no longer hear and understand conversations… Continue reading Hearing Loss Can Change You, But Did You Know It Can Change Your Brain?