My vision is pretty poor, but I've always been able to say hey, I've got great hearing.

At least I've been able to until the last year or so. Lately, I've had to crank up the volume on my headset at work, and ask folks to repeat themselves on the cell phone.

Maybe it's the technology, not me. Still, I tried taking a test from the Better Hearing Institute just to see.

I got far from a perfect score – but don't need treatment at this time, according to the test.

See how you fare. Aging is a major risk factor, but contrary to conventional wisdom, most people with hearing loss are under 65, according to the hearing institute. In fact, only 35 percent of people with hearing loss are seniors.

What can damage your ears? Certain recreational things like listening to loud music and constant noise on the job. Those most at risk include firefighters, police officers, factory workers, construction workers and musicians.

Signs of hearing loss include having a hard time making out the high-pitched tones, like the voices of women and children, and turning up the tv way louder than anyone else wants.

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