Brandy Lujan sports bright blue hearing aids not much larger than her fingernail. As the owner of AAA Hearing, she’s noted the stigma often associated with wearing hearing aids has dissipated in recent years.

“I want to be a walking billboard,” Lujan said of her hearing aids.

The average age of a hearing aid user is no longer a person in his or her 80s. Now, it’s not unheard of to see someone in their mid-40s or early 50s using “amplification.”

Located at 2532 Patterson Road, Unit 12, AAA Hearing specializes in professional diagnostic hearing evaluations and hearing aid selection and fitting.

Lujan started AAA Hearing in the 1990s because she was interested in the science of hearing aids. Over the years, she’s developed a passion for technological advancements in the field, as well as the improved quality of life it can give hearing aid users.

Hearing loss can be frustrating, depressing and isolating for the aging population. Unfortunately, Lujan added, it’s a common part of the aging process.

“The inner ear diminishes in its health, essentially,” she said. “If we [are exposed] to excess noise or have other health issues, that might push it along faster or earlier.”

In addition, noisy hobbies can also accelerate hearing loss. Signs of hearing loss include ringing or buzzing noise in the ears or difficulty following a conversation in a crowded room with background noise.

Although hearing loss is inevitable for many, the use of hearing aids can dramatically improve the quality of life. Hearing aids are smaller, more comfortable and more functional than ever before. Many are even compatible with some smartphones.

“They are easy to use,” Lujan added. “Things have gotten very automatic now…we are even getting more rechargeable options than ever.”

The improvement in hearing aids has simultaneously removed a lot of the stigma associated with wearing them. Wearers can even select bold colors or patterns such as camouflage for their hearing aids.

The experts at AAA Hearing are there to help clients make sure everything works correctly. After homes and cars, many seniors find that their hearing aids are the third most expensive purchase they will make in their later years.

“Hearing aids are a health care solution that cost a lot of money that nobody wants to spend,” Lujan said. “We try to be patient and help them through the process. It doesn’t have to be now or never. Some people will be tested for six or seven years before they finally decide it’s time to go into this. We try to make it as painless as possible.”

For more information about AAA Hearing or to schedule an initial consultation, call 243-6440.