By LOIS KINDLE
Hearing is vital to our overall health and quality of life. It’s an essential part of our ability to communicate, interact socially, maintain meaningful relationships and engage in daily activities.
On the flip side, when impaired, the way we hear negatively impacts all of our interactions, including brain health, which experts say is associated with dementia, earlier mortality and higher rates of falling. Being unable to hear clearly contributes to growing isolation and loneliness, which has further negative health impacts.
The good news is, if hearing loss is caught early through annual testing by a board-certified hearing specialist, solutions are available.
Board-certified audiologist Alaina Becker recently opened Clarity Hearing in Sun City Center to demystify all aspects of hearing loss, how hearing tests work and the use of hearing aids.
“My goal is to educate, educate, educate,” she said. “I want people to feel comfortable about getting tested, asking questions and becoming better informed.”
Toward that end, Becker will host a free, Hearing Aid Town Hall, Jan. 14 from 1 to 3 p.m. in the Ripple Room at Kings Point’s North Clubhouse, 1900 Clubhouse Drive. She’ll be there in person to discuss anything and everything about hearing aids, including how they work, when to consider getting one, how to choose the right one, why they’re sometimes ineffective and more. She’ll also discuss how untreated hearing loss affects health and quality of life.
“No questions are off the table,” she said.
The event is open to the public, but advance registration is required. To do so, visit https://clarityhearinghdd.com/seminar-registration/ or call 813-922-2119.
You’re also invited to join Clarity Hearing’s grand opening Feb. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon at 4040 Upper Creek Drive, Suite 105, Sun City Center. Everyone who attends will be entered into a drawing for a Platinum SoundMind 4-year treatment plan, which includes a set of Starkey Genesis AI 24 RIC rechargeable hearing aids – a $6,999 value. No purchase is necessary, but you must be present to win.
The event will also feature live music by acoustic guitarist and singer Tanner Boyle.
A passion for helping, especially seniors
Alaina Becker walks and talks her profession, marketing her practice as “Hearing Done Differently.”
“The ear is my jam, and I’m here to help people address any ear-related issue, she said.
In addition to diagnostic hearing and hearing aid evaluations, Clarity Hearing offers a wide array of services for folks of all ages. These include four-year treatment plans; fittings that include Real Ear Measurements, counseling and hearing aid adjustments; professional wax removal; Cognivue cognitive screening; positional vertigo testing and treatment; custom ear molds for hearing protection; hearing aid sales and repairs; high-frequency testing for patients undergoing chemo or taking Tepeeza for TED (thyroid eye disease); and treatment for muffled hearing and tinnitus.
“We offer a comprehensive, patient-centered experience that goes beyond simply improving hearing,” Becker said. “We’re here to ensure every person leaves our clinic not only hearing better but feeling fully supported, confident and wishing they had come to us sooner for their hearing health.”
Clarity Hearing offers the latest technology and treatment plans customized to each individual’s needs.
So there’s no need to be one of the many who puts off getting a hearing exam due to fear a hearing aid will be pushed on you.
Come meet Alaina Becker and see for yourself how her 15 years of hearing-healthcare experience and deep commitment to exceptional patient care sets her apart from others in her field.
Clarity Hearing is open Monday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Becker works with most insurance plans, including Medicare, and can often honor the discounts offered by many Advantage Plans.
For more information or to make an appointment, visit https://clarityhearinghdd.com/schedule-an-appointment/, email admin@clarityhearinghdd.com or call 813-922-2119.
“Hearing is what connects us to other people,” Becker said. “Every day I’m excited to come to work and help people improve their relationships, overall health and ability to hear. It’s pretty awesome.”
LOIS KINDLE PHOTO
Board-certified audiologist Alaina Becker, 41, recently opened Clarity Hearing at 4040 Upper Creek Drive, Suite 105, Sun City Center. Passionate about helping folks with any ear-related issue, she markets her practice with the tagline, Hearing Done Differently. For information or an appointment, call 813-922-2119.
About the audiologist
Originally from Indiana, Alaina Becker, 41, received her Clinical Doctorate of Audiology from the University of South Florida in 2010. The board certified audiologist worked in a variety of clinical settings until September 2024, when she opened Clarity Hearing in Sun City Center.
She and her husband, Sean, an attorney, live in Riverview with their three children – daughters, Sloane, 10, and Quinn, 8, and son, Callahan, 1.
As a community service, she provides free hearing aid services once a month at Sun Towers Retirement Community and Freedom Plaza.
In her free time, she enjoys art, music, working out and college football.