Have you heard these three essential mid-summer tips?

From improving your golf swing to maintaining your power tools to keeping the concert calendar full, our community is basking in the sights, sun, and sounds of summer.

“To get the most out of the season, it’s important to make sure you’re hearing your best and protecting your hearing from harmful noise,” advises Dr. Hope Rowe of Blue Wave Hearing in Bentonville.

Dr. Rowe offers three quick tips on making lasting summer memories by getting your hearing health in shape this time of year:

• Keep adequate hearing protection handy. More than 31 million Americans ages 6 to 69 have noise-related hearing loss, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That outdoor music festival might rock, but wearing earplugs to soften the loudest sounds could mean the difference between healthy hearing and permanent hearing loss.

• Know the signs of hearing loss. Does everyone seem to mumble? Do you ask others to repeat themselves? Are you having ringing in your ears? Does it seem hard to hear conversations amid background noise? It’s not in your head. It’s potential hearing loss, and recognizing the signs marks the first step toward better hearing for yourself or a loved one.

• Get help for hearing difficulties. Nearly all hearing loss is treatable, but only 30 percent of adults 70 and older who could benefit from hearing aids — and an even smaller percentage of people ages 20 to 69 — ever use them, according to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. Effective help starts with a hearing exam to determine the nature of your hearing difficulty and the best solution for your individual needs.

“Hearing and summertime have some important things in common: They both bring joy and help you create some of the best memories,” says Dr. Rowe. “Optimizing your hearing health goes a long way in starting the season off right.”

If you’re experiencing hearing problems or need hearing protection made especially for your ears, see Dr. Hope Rowe at Blue Wave Hearing Centers. We are a full-service audiology practice that has proudly served the Northwest Arkansas community hear better since 1999. With locations in Bentonville and Bella Vista our clinic has helped thousands of patients with their hearing, tinnitus, and balance disorders, and offers state-of-the-art diagnostic testing and expert fitting of hearing technology. Learn more at BlueWaveHearing.com.