It’s something you usually don’t think a lot about until you lose it. But if you lose your hearing, you also lose a big part of your life, one of the most important parts.

Brad Meulenbeld of Dynamic Hearing Solutions in the Tamarack Centre Mall knows the statistics: one in 10 Canadians (3.5 million) will suffer some kind of hearing loss before they turn 65 and one in three Canadians will suffer hearing impairment after their 65th birthday.

Hearing loss after 65 is even more common than high blood pressure, heart disease and arthritis and is one of the most common physical conditions most of us will experience in our lives.

But there are solutions to hearing loss which is why Meulenbeld, a certified audiologist, decided to set up shop in Cranbrook’s largest mall in September 2009 to provide a service in a business that is largely “boomer-driven,” he says.

“When people start to loose their hearing past 65 they don’t want something medical because they don’t consider themselves as having medical needs.” But sometimes they do have medical needs and in cases like this Meulenbeld doesn’t hesitate to refer them to a physician or an ear, nose and throat specialist. But if it’s a case of normal hearing loss that comes with age, Meulenbeld has the training, equipment and expertise to relieve most hearing loss problems.

And it doesn’t hurt at all and it’s very convenient.

Meulenbeld’s brightly lit office is located a couple doors down from the Columbia Theatre near the mall’s busy back entrance. Meulenbeld says he’s happy with the location because a lot of feet go by his door and his business is made up of a high percentage of foot traffic.

When you step inside, you’ll be greeted by patient care coordinator Renee Phillips who will take down the necessary information and offer you coffee and cookies which are part of the office furniture too. You will be asked to fill out a hearing questionaire and there is a $50 evaluation fee for being tested but the fee is waived for those over 65.

One of the common conditions people come in for is tinnitus, more commonly known as ringing in the ears. Tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom resulting from several causes including ear infections, wax in the ear, nose-induced hearing loss and genetic loss of hearing. About one in five people report tinnitus in a general health questionnaire and in the age of the IPod, loud rock concerts, industrial racket and noises of many kinds it’s a common problem audiologists deal with.

Hearing aids won’t cure tinnitus, but the right one will mask or filter the ringing and at the same time improve hearing. And that’s a good thing because ringing in the ears can be really upsetting for some people, says Meulenbeld.

“Tinnitus acts on the autonomic nervous system which is also responsible for the fight or flight response. So when people have it they can’t tell if it’s a real sound or are they are going crazy.”

Dynamic Hearing Solutions sells hearing aids for tinnitus and a wide array of other hearing problems too and does audiometric testing for WorkSafe BC, Line Creek Coal and the City of Cranbrook. He also recently opened an office that runs one-day-a-week in the Rocky Mountain Health Centre in Fernie.

Meulenbeld also has a hearing aid repair lab and can repair up to 70 per cent of the hearing aids he gets in his own shop, which makes for faster repairs.

But before a hearing aid, new or old, is sold or repaired, he does a full diagnostic hearing test to determine the exact amount of hearing loss and how it can be improved. “Our focus is on rehabilitation by amplification (hearing aid) and we’ll custom fit the hearing aid to fit and it will hardly be noticeable.”

Meulenbeld says this is important because some people feel a social stigma when they wear a hearing aid and others find it difficult to socialize because they can’t hear what other people are saying. But with amplification rehabilitation (installation of the right hearing aid ) “we can really change their life for the better,” he says.

Getting your hearing tested is actually kind of fun. To begin the test, you enter the proverbially sound-proof room, which is known in the trade as an “anechoic booth.” The booth, in fact, is not completely sound proof but is echo-proof and cuts out almost all the sound coming from outside to there is no background noise to interfere with your test.

You then clamp on a set of headphones and stare a few seconds at sound-absorbing, perforated metal wall until the test begins:

When I took my test , “beeeep.’ went the sound clearly into my earphones. This is going to be a cinch I thought to myself even though I’m getting close to the traumatic 65 year stage of life. After a short pause, came the second “beeep.” Not so loud this time, I thought as I pressed the button indicating I heard the sound. And then “beep.” Well, I could barely hear that at all, but I dutifully pressed the button again because I could hear it ever so faintly. And once more I waited, but this time in vain. I couldn’t hear a darn thing!

But Meulenbeld made me feel better when he compiled my chart showing that my hearing loss was mild for a person of my advancing age and no audiologic action was recommended. Still, the day will come, but it’s at least comforting to know that the day hasn’t arrived yet.

And how do you tell if you should be paying a visit to your friendly audiologist? There are several tell-tale signs. Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves quite often? Do you hear people speaking, but can’t understand what they’re saying? Does background noise impair your ability to hear what others are saying? Do you have feelings of anxiety, depression, undue fatigue and stress and find yourself avoiding social situations?

The symptoms are diverse and varied, and may not all point to hearing loss, but some quite likely do and a hearing test may well be a smart proactive move. Meulenbeld says family and friends are often one of his main sources of referrals because it’s often those around you that notice your hearing loss before you do.

“I would say if you feel your quality of life is changing and you’re unable to communicate effectively and you’re no longer enjoying things you used to enjoy, you should consider your hearing.” It may be as simple as not being able to hear the TV like you used to or straining to hear your favourite music, but whatever it is, a hearing test may be in order.

“Our vision at Dynamic Hearing Solutions is to focus on quality care and deliver it. We want to improve your hearing and focus on where you want to see your hearing improved and meet those goals,” Meulenbeld says.