Call 703-997-7167 Arlington, VA

Arlington Hearing Center

Hearing Aid Experts in Arlington, VA.
Call us today at 703-997-7167

Your favorite music… phone calls with clients… conversations over lunch… the voices of children… Are you hearing them? Really hearing them? Or have you noticed that:

  • Everyone seems to be mumbling these days?
  • You have to keep asking people to speak up or repeat themselves?
  • You struggle to decipher conversations from the background noise in crowded places like parks, parties or restaurants?
  • Hearing people on the telephone is hard?
  • You keep cranking up the volume on the TV?

These symptoms are more than just annoying; hearing loss can lead to feelings of panic, loss and even grief and hopelessness—but don’t lose hope—get help! Arlington audiologist Dr. Sandra Romano has been there too—contact us for an appointment; she can help you hear what you’ve been missing!

Turn On, Tune In and Enjoy Listening Again

The “Sounds of Silence” have their place, but not when you need and want to hear what is going on around you. 28 million Americans suffer from some level of hearing loss; yet only one in five of these people have visited with their local audiologist about getting their hearing back. In fact, only 17% of people over 50 have had their hearing checked, and this is a high-risk population for hearing loss.

There is absolutely no reason to continue missing out on conversations, music, classes, business meetings—the fabulous banquet of sounds all around you—especially when today’s technology provides us with so many excellent and innovative hearing solutions! We can help you with the following services to restore lost hearing and boost your quality of life:

  • Hearing Tests—When our Arlington audiologist runs hearing tests, many of her patients are shocked to discover how far advanced their hearing loss really is and what they’ve been missing. Many of them knew there was a problem, but didn’t realize their hearing loss was so advanced. This is because most hearing loss comes on so gradually that most patients do not notice it initially. If you struggle with any of the symptoms listed above, and particularly if you are 50 or older, call and schedule an appointment for our high-tech hearing tests. Audiologist Sandra Romano is constantly investing in the latest hearing test technology and advanced hearing education. We have a Verifit Real Ear Machine and professional sound booths made for iPhone lab—all for the most precise and insightful hearing tests in Washington D.C.
  • Hearing Aids and Hearing Instruments—We carry all of the most advanced styles and brands of hearing aids. In fact, our Washington, DC Metropolitan Audiologist wears them herself! This makes Dr. Sandra Romano uniquely qualified to help you find exactly the right hearing aids for you, as she has worn several different styles and can explain the differences between them from personal experience. Our hearing aids even come with iPhone and iPad connectivity, free batteries and a 30-day return policy. It is important to us that we find you the right pair of hearing aids to make life sound great again, and we will go the extra mile to make sure you get them!

Hear about Our Arlington Audiologist?

Dr. Sandra Romano is passionate about helping people hear because she has personally experienced the difficulties of hearing loss. She knows how difficult it can be, and she knows where you are coming from. She wears hearing aids herself and can even communicate in American Sign Language! She’s been there, and she knows how hearing loss feels and she extends that compassion and patience to her patients! She wants to help everyone hear what’s possible today: to join the conversations, hear the stories, the laughter, the music… to hear and live the life they want to live.

With this personal passion as an audiologist in Washington D.C., Dr. Sandra Romano is an AAA scholar in constantly continuing education. She relentlessly pursues additional training courses, investigates new hearing instruments and technologies, and attends multiple conferences annually to bring the latest and greatest services to her patients. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, her family and charitable work around Arlington.

Call Us and Hear What You’ve Been Missing

Contact us today to schedule an appointment with our audiologist in Arlington and rediscover the sounds around you!

Our bright, state-of-the-art offices are located on Wilson Blvd. in Arlington. They are easy to access on the first floor, with convenient parking nearby. Dr. Sandra Romano and our entire office team are friendly, hardworking, compassionate and treat you just like one of the family!

Call us today at  703-997-7167 and enjoy hearing again!

Little Changes in Hearing Can Affect Your Brain

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Woman doing crossword puzzle and wearing hearing aid to improve her brain.

Your brain develops in a different way than it normally would if you’re born with hearing loss. Shocked? That’s because our ideas about the brain aren’t always correct. You might think that only injury or trauma can change your brain. But brains are really more dynamic than that.

Your Brain is Impacted by Hearing

You’ve likely heard of the concept that, as one sense wanes, the other four senses will grow more powerful to compensate. The well-known example is usually vision: your senses of hearing, taste, and smell will become stronger to compensate for loss of vision.

That hasn’t been proven in the medical literature, but like all good myths, there could be a sliver of truth in there somewhere. Because loss of hearing, for example, can and does alter the sensory architecture of your brain. It’s open to question how much this is valid in adults, but we know it’s true in children.

The physical structure of children’s brains, who suffer from loss of hearing, has been shown by CT scans to change, changing the hearing centers of the brain to visual centers.

The newest studies have gone on to discover that even moderate loss of hearing can have an influence on the brain’s architecture.

How The Brain is Changed by Hearing Loss

When all five senses are working, the brain dedicates a certain amount of space (and power) to each one. A certain amount of brain space goes towards interpreting touch, a certain amount towards hearing or vision, and etc. When your young, your brain is very flexible and that’s when these pathways are being formed and this architecture is being set up.

It’s already been verified that the brain modified its architecture in children with advanced hearing loss. Instead of being devoted to hearing, that area in the brain is restructured to be dedicated to vision. The brain devotes more power and space to the senses that are providing the most input.

Mild to Medium Loss of Hearing Also Triggers Changes

What’s unexpected is that this same rearrangement has been observed in children with mild to moderate hearing loss too.

To be clear, these changes in the brain aren’t going to lead to significant behavioral changes and they won’t lead to superpowers. Rather, they simply appear to help individuals adapt to hearing loss.

A Long and Strong Relationship

The change in the brains of children undoubtedly has far reaching repercussions. The great majority of people living with hearing loss are adults, and the hearing loss itself is commonly a consequence of long-term noise or age-related damage. Is hearing loss altering their brains, as well?

Noise damage, based on some evidence, can actually trigger inflammation in particular parts of the brain. Other evidence has connected neglected hearing loss with higher risks for anxiety, dementia, and depression. So although it’s not certain if the other senses are modified by hearing loss we do know it alters the brain.

Individuals from around the country have anecdotally backed this up.

The Affect of Hearing Loss on Your General Health

That hearing loss can have such an enormous influence on the brain is more than simple superficial information. It’s a reminder that the senses and the brain are intrinsically linked.

When hearing loss develops, there are commonly significant and noticeable mental health impacts. Being conscious of those impacts can help you be prepared for them. And being prepared will help you take steps to maintain your quality of life.

How substantially your brain physically changes with the start of hearing loss will depend on many factors (including your age, older brains commonly firm up that structure and new neural pathways are tougher to establish as a result). But regardless of your age or how extreme your hearing loss is, untreated hearing loss will definitely have an effect on your brain.

Arlington Hearing Center

2500 Wilson Blvd., #105
Arlington, VA 22201
703-997-7167
Hours: 9am - 5pm, Monday - Friday

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