Hearing loss can significantly affect your quality of life. For healthy and active aging, it’s important to maintain hearing function. But a lot of people wait to get hearing aids until the effects of hearing loss are severe. Part of that is because, for a long time, hearing aids were bulky and noticeable, and provided unnatural-sounding amplification of environmental noise.

Fortunately, hearing aid technology has developed dramatically in recent years, and it’s improving with each new generation of devices. Now hearing aids can be surprisingly low-profile and powerful while looking discreet and sounding natural. Even better, it’s now easier to get hearing aids before you experience severe hearing loss.

If you have mild or moderate hearing loss, you can even choose hearing aids on your own without a trip to an audiologist. And you have choices. There are traditional behind-the-ear models as well as barely noticeable in-ear designs. However, if you find out your hearing is more severely impaired, you should talk to a specialist about solution options.

One of the problems with older generations of hearing aids was that they typically had a hard time handling certain sounds — like a conversation coming through a telephone. But Bluetooth technology now allows hearing aids to pair with compatible devices, such as smartphones, so you can interact seamlessly with those you love in person and remotely. If you’re an older adult, this is something you should take into consideration when finding the best cell phone for you.

Many hearing aids are designed to manage features and settings directly from your smartphone, and may give you more control and offer options such as background noise cancellation. For movies, TV shows and games you may even choose a pair of headphones designed to make the experience more immersive. It’s important to stay connected and use technology to your advantage. You can even use technology to keep your brain agile.

Don’t forget to clean your hearing aids properly and keep a pair of backup batteries handy. While it is important to always clean hearing aids using the manufacturer’s instructions, there are now hearing aid accessories that make cleaning simple. For functionality and for your ears’ health, it’s crucial to keep your devices clean and dry.

Hearing loss can happen at any age, but it is most common for seniors, and dealing with it is one of the important steps toward living independently as you age. So, if you’re frequently asking people to repeat themselves, you might want to take an online hearing assessment and learn more about our hearing solutions.