Have you ever experienced the moment when you see someone's lips move but you're not quite sure what they said? Or perhaps you ask, "What?" four times to the same question, and finally just smile and nod in agreement, not knowing what you agreed to.

Many people don't do anything to protect their hearing. They blare their music and work around loud machines, not realizing that once your hearing is gone it's not coming back without a great surgeon and money.

This had been my reality since I was a little girl. By the time I was two I had more ear infections than many other children. Along with ea...