Spring in the New Year!

Spring is my favorite time of the year. The days are lighter, longer and warmer. The bulbs begin to break open and pop through the earth. The baby deer show up out of nowhere and look for food on our lawn. It’s time for renewal. When the grape hyacinths and crocuses bloom, I know spring is here. When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I had never seen daffodils before. But now they’re one of my favorite flowers, signaling the start of my favorite season.

This winter was a long one, filled with more snow than the Pacific Northwest is used to. But my head has been stuck in spring and I’m so happy it’s finally here. Spring brings out new sights, smells and sounds. Baby birds are chirping away, there is the dripping of ice melting away and the pattering of rain (especially here). How I wish everyone could hear the beautiful sounds of spring. It’s something I think most of us take for granted. So, are you protecting your hearing so you can continue to hear these things? Wearing hearing protection when exposed to loud noises may be annoying and you may look silly, but do you want to lose your ability to hear the more beautiful sounds of life?

In addition to the new beginnings in nature, we have new beginnings in hearing aid technology. I’m excited to introduce you to the biggest change in our industry: HealthableTM hearing technology with integrated sensors and artificial intelligence. It is the first hearing aid that tracks brain and body health!

Why is this important? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in four older adults fall each year. These falls often result in emergency room visits, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, hospitalizations or even death. A recent study done by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the National Institute of Aging found that hearing loss significantly increases the risk of falls for older people. According to Penny Tyson, MA, falls account for 85% of all injury-related admissions to hospitals, and 40% of all our healthcare system costs are for long-term care. Projections show, by the year 2030, falls will account for more than $67 billion dollars’ worth of medical care annually, in the US. It has been well-documented that untreated hearing loss can lead to a myriad of health and personal safety issues, but you can add increased risk of falls to that list.

Due to this knowledge, it’s important to monitor hearing loss and one’s vulnerability to related medical issues. Livio® AI is the world's first hearing aid that can detect when a hearing aid wearer falls and sends alert text messages to selected contacts (up to 3 people). The hearing aid also tracks your steps! *Please call for a consultation if you would like to learn more about this technology or have a demonstration of how they work!

In addition to this ground breaking technology there are some less surprising steps you can take to improve your hearing health. The age old wisdom of eating well and exercising can improve all areas of your wellness, including your hearing. My husband and I are on a journey to eat better and exercise more. Won’t you join us by putting a spring into your step and enjoying all that Spring has to offer.