An audiologist is a healthcare professional who specializes in diagnosing, treating, and managing hearing and balance disorders. Audiologists are experts in the complex systems that allow us to hear and maintain our balance, providing comprehensive care for people of all ages.

Education and training:

Audiologists must complete extensive education, including:

• A doctoral degree in audiology (Au.D.) – typically a 4-year graduate program

• Clinical training and supervised practice

• State licensing requirements

• Continuing education to maintain certification

This rigorous training ensures audiologists have the expertise to provide evidence-based hearing healthcare.

What services do audiologists provide?

Audiologists offer a wide range of services including:

• Comprehensive hearing evaluations and diagnostic testing for all ages

• Hearing aid selection, fitting, and programming for all ages

• Earwax removal and ear canal cleaning

• Tinnitus (ringing in ears) evaluation and management

• Balance and dizziness testing

• Hearing protection and prevention counseling

• Auditory processing evaluations

• Cochlear implant programming and support

• Hearing rehabilitation and counseling

How are audiologists different from other hearing professionals?

Unlike hearing aid dispensers who primarily sell hearing devices, audiologists provide comprehensive diagnostic services and medical-level hearing healthcare. They can identify underlying medical conditions affecting hearing and work closely with physicians when medical treatment is needed.

Audiologists are your primary healthcare providers for hearing and balance issues. They combine advanced clinical training with personalized care to help you maintain and improve your hearing health throughout your life. If you have concerns about your hearing, an audiologist can provide the expert evaluation and treatment you need.

We accept most major insurance plans that provide coverage for hearing services and hearing aids. Since insurance benefits vary significantly between plans and providers, we recommend contacting our office with your specific insurance information so we can verify your coverage and explain your benefits before your appointment.

Our team will check what services are covered under your plan, including hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings, and follow-up care. We'll also help you understand any co-pays, deductibles, or out-of-pocket costs you might have.

Yes, loud noises can absolutely damage your hearing, and this damage is often permanent. Understanding how loud sounds affect your ears can help you protect one of your most valuable senses.

How does noise damage hearing?

Your inner ear contains thousands of tiny hair cells that convert sound waves into signals your brain interprets as hearing. When exposed to loud sounds, these delicate hair cells can become damaged or destroyed. Unlike other cells in your body, hair cells don't regenerate once damaged, making noise-induced hearing loss permanent.

What sounds are dangerous?

Sound is measured in decibels (dB). Generally:

• Sounds below 85 dB are considered safe for extended exposure

• Sounds at 85-90 dB can cause damage with prolonged exposure (8+ hours)

• Sounds above 90 dB can cause damage more quickly

• Sounds above 120 dB can cause immediate, permanent damage

Common dangerous sounds include concerts (100-115 dB), power tools (85-100 dB), firearms (140+ dB), and even some personal music devices at maximum volume (100+ dB).

What are the warning signs?

After loud noise exposure, you might experience:

• Temporary hearing loss or muffled hearing

• Ringing in your ears (tinnitus)

• Ear pain or pressure

• Difficulty understanding speech

These symptoms often indicate your ears have been overexposed to noise. While temporary symptoms may resolve, repeated exposure can lead to permanent damage.

How can you protect yourself?

Prevention is key since noise-induced hearing loss is permanent but completely preventable:

• Use ear protection (earplugs or earmuffs) in loud environments

• Follow the 60/60 rule: listen to personal devices at no more than 60% volume for no more than 60 minutes at a time

• Take breaks from loud environments

• Stand away from speakers at concerts or events

• Choose quieter alternatives when possible

What Do I Do If I Lose My Hearing Suddenly?

Sudden hearing loss affects 5-27 people per 100,000 annually and requires emergency medical attention. If you experience rapid hearing loss over minutes, hours, or up to three days, contact your healthcare provider or visit an emergency room within 72 hours.

Research shows patients who receive treatment within this window have significantly better recovery outcomes.

Don't wait to "see if it gets better." Unlike gradual hearing changes, sudden hearing loss demands urgent intervention to maximize recovery chances.

What's Happening to Your Hearing?

Sudden hearing loss typically occurs when delicate inner ear hair cells become damaged or blood flow to your auditory system is compromised. While the exact cause remains unknown in 90% of cases, you may also experience:

• Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing sounds)

• Dizziness or balance issues

• Ear fullness

• Difficulty understanding speech in noise

Medical Treatment

Your physician will likely prescribe oral corticosteroids (typically prednisone for 7-14 days) to reduce inflammation and restore auditory function. If oral steroids aren't effective, intratympanic steroid injections may be recommended—delivering medication directly into the middle ear.

Recovery Expectations

Recovery varies significantly. Approximately one-third of patients experience complete recovery, one-third see partial improvement, and one-third have little change despite treatment. Some recover within days, while others see gradual improvement over weeks.

How Sound Hearing Solutions Supports Your Journey

We recognize that hearing challenges can profoundly affect your daily experiences, but we're dedicated to partnering with you to restore your communication confidence.

Comprehensive Assessment and Monitoring Our advanced diagnostic testing tracks hearing changes throughout recovery, coordinating valuable information with your medical team.

Personalized Rehabilitation Solutions If your hearing doesn't fully return, we craft individualized pathways to reconnecting with the sounds that matter most in your life—including hearing aids, assistive devices, and communication strategies.

Ongoing Support Our commitment extends beyond technology. We believe in understanding your unique story, lifestyle, and personal goals to ensure every treatment plan aligns with your specific needs.

Real Ear Measurements (REM) are precise tests that verify how well your hearing aids are working specifically for your ears.

During a Real Ear Measurement, your audiologist places a tiny, flexible microphone called a probe tube into your ear canal alongside your hearing aid. This microphone measures the actual sound levels reaching your eardrum when your hearing aid is operating. The measurement takes place in your real ear canal, hence the name "Real Ear."

Why are Real Ear Measurements important?

Every person's ear is unique in size and shape, which affects how sound travels through the ear canal. Hearing aid manufacturers provide general programming guidelines, but these don't account for your individual ear anatomy. Real Ear Measurements allow your audiologist to fine-tune your hearing aids based on your specific ear characteristics, ensuring optimal performance.

What happens during the test?

The process is quick, painless, and non-invasive. You'll sit comfortably while your audiologist:

• Inserts the probe microphone into your ear canal

• Plays various sounds through speakers

• Measures how much amplification your hearing aid provides at different frequencies

• Adjusts your hearing aid settings based on the results

Benefits of Real Ear Measurements:

Real Ear Measurements help ensure your hearing aids provide the right amount of amplification for your specific hearing loss. They can improve speech clarity, reduce feedback (whistling), and help you hear comfortably in various environments. The measurements also verify that your hearing aids meet industry standards for your degree of hearing loss.

A cochlear implant may be right for you if you have moderately severe to profound hearing loss that isn't adequately helped by hearing aids. Unlike hearing aids that amplify sound, cochlear implants bypass damaged parts of your inner ear and directly stimulate your auditory nerve, providing a sense of sound to your brain.

Who are candidates for cochlear implants?

You might be a candidate if you:

• Have moderately severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss in one or both ears

• Receive limited benefit from hearing aids, even well-fitted ones

• Score 60% or less on sentence recognition tests with hearing aids

• Are motivated to participate in auditory rehabilitation

• Have realistic expectations about outcomes

• Are in good general health for surgery

Both children and adults can receive cochlear implants. For children, early implantation often leads to better speech and language development outcomes.

What does the evaluation process involve?

Your audiologist and ENT surgeon will conduct comprehensive testing including:

• Detailed hearing tests and speech understanding assessments

• Medical examination of your ears and overall health

• Imaging studies (CT or MRI scans) to evaluate your inner ear anatomy

• Sometimes a hearing aid trial to ensure you've maximized benefit from amplification

What are realistic expectations?

Cochlear implants don't restore normal hearing, but they can significantly improve your ability to understand speech, especially in quiet environments. Many users can talk on the phone, enjoy music, and feel more connected to their surroundings. Success varies among individuals and depends on factors like duration of hearing loss, age at implantation, and commitment to rehabilitation.

What's involved after surgery?

Success with a cochlear implant requires dedication to the rehabilitation process. You'll work with an audiologist to program your device and may need speech therapy to learn how to interpret the new sounds you're hearing.

Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) is a condition where the brain has difficulty processing and interpreting sounds, even though hearing itself is normal. People with APD can hear sounds clearly, but their brain struggles to make sense of what those sounds mean, particularly speech.

How is APD different from hearing loss?

With hearing loss, the ears don't detect sounds properly. With APD, the ears work fine, but the brain has trouble organizing and understanding the sounds it receives. Think of it like having a clear phone connection but struggling to understand what the person is saying because of how your brain processes their words.

What are the symptoms?

Common signs of APD include:

• Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments

• Frequently asking "what?" or "huh?" even when sounds are loud enough

• Trouble following multi-step directions

• Problems distinguishing between similar-sounding words

• Difficulty localizing where sounds come from

• Being easily distracted by background noise

• Academic or work performance issues despite normal intelligence

Children with APD may struggle in school, particularly with reading, spelling, and following classroom instructions.

Who can have APD?

APD can affect both children and adults. It's often identified in school-age children when academic difficulties become apparent, but adults can also develop APD following brain injuries, infections, or other neurological conditions. Some people may have had APD since childhood but weren't properly diagnosed.

How is APD diagnosed?

Diagnosing APD requires specialized testing by an audiologist. The evaluation typically includes:

• Standard hearing tests to rule out hearing loss

• Specialized tests that assess how the brain processes different types of sounds

• Speech-in-noise testing

• Tests of auditory memory and sequencing

A comprehensive evaluation helps distinguish APD from other conditions like ADHD, learning disabilities, or hearing loss.

Can APD be treated?

While there's no cure for APD, various strategies can help manage it effectively:

• Auditory training programs to improve processing skills

• Environmental modifications (reducing background noise, improving acoustics)

• Assistive listening devices like FM systems

• Communication strategies and coping techniques

• Academic accommodations for students

Tinnitus is the perception of sound in your ears or head when no external sound is present. Often described as ringing, buzzing, hissing, whistling, or humming, tinnitus affects millions of people and can range from a minor annoyance to a significant impact on daily life.

Types of tinnitus:

Subjective tinnitus is the most common type – only you can hear it. This accounts for about 95% of tinnitus cases and is usually related to hearing damage or auditory system problems.

Objective tinnitus is rare and can actually be heard by others during examination. It's typically caused by blood vessel problems or muscle contractions near the ear.

What causes tinnitus?

Common causes include:

• Hearing loss from aging or noise exposure

• Earwax buildup or ear infections

• Certain medications (especially high doses of aspirin, some antibiotics, or chemotherapy drugs)

• Head or neck injuries

• Blood pressure problems

• Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders

• Stress and anxiety

• Meniere's disease

Sometimes no specific cause can be identified.

How does tinnitus affect people?

Tinnitus experiences vary widely. Some people notice it only in quiet environments, while others hear it constantly. It can affect:

• Sleep quality and concentration

• Emotional well-being, sometimes leading to anxiety or depression

• Work performance and social interactions

• Overall quality of life

The severity often depends more on how bothersome it is rather than how loud it sounds.

Can tinnitus be treated?

While there's no universal cure, many effective management strategies exist:

• Hearing aids often help, especially if you also have hearing loss

• Sound therapy using background noise or specialized devices

• Tinnitus retraining therapy (TRT) to help your brain ignore the tinnitus

• Counseling and stress management techniques

• Treatment of underlying conditions (earwax removal, medication changes)

• Masking devices that provide competing sounds

The distinction between prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids centers on customization level, professional oversight, and the complexity of your hearing needs.

Prescription hearing aids require comprehensive audiological evaluation and professional fitting. These devices are programmed specifically for your hearing profile, lifestyle requirements, and communication goals. The fitting process includes real-ear measurements, fine-tuning adjustments, and ongoing professional support. Prescription devices typically offer advanced features like directional microphones, sophisticated noise reduction, and connectivity options.

Over-the-counter hearing aids, approved by the FDA in 2022, provide a more accessible option for adults with mild to moderate hearing loss. These devices are available without prescription or professional fitting, though they still require some self-adjustment and basic hearing assessment.

Professional oversight represents a crucial difference. Prescription hearing aids include ongoing audiological care, regular adjustments, professional cleaning, repairs, and counseling support. This relationship ensures your devices continue meeting your evolving needs.

Customization depth varies significantly. Prescription devices are programmed using your specific audiogram, while OTC devices rely on general amplification patterns and user adjustments. This difference impacts both immediate comfort and long-term satisfaction.

Hearing loss complexity determines appropriate choice. Simple, symmetrical hearing loss may respond well to OTC options, while complex patterns, significant hearing loss, or unique ear anatomy typically require prescription solutions.

Cost considerations initially favor OTC devices, but prescription hearing aids often provide better value through included services, warranty coverage, and professional support that prevents costly problems.

We help you understand which option aligns with your hearing profile, lifestyle demands, and personal preferences. Our comprehensive evaluation reveals whether OTC devices can meet your needs or if prescription solutions offer the precision and support necessary for optimal hearing restoration.

Yes, most hearings aids come with a limited warranty for repairs and replacements. This coverage typically ranges from one to three years, though warranty terms vary by manufacturer and model. Many hearing aid companies offer three-year warranties, providing you with comprehensive protection during the critical early years of your hearing aid journey.

Extended warranty options are available to provide additional peace of mind. These enhanced warranties often cover not just repairs, but also loss and damage protection – particularly valuable given that the average hearing aid can last around five years when properly maintained.

Understanding your warranty coverage is essential for protecting your investment. We'll walk you through your specific warranty options during your consultation, ensuring you understand exactly what protection comes with your personalized hearing solution.

Recognizing hearing changes often happens gradually, making it challenging to identify when professional evaluation becomes beneficial. Multiple indicators suggest it's time to explore hearing solutions.

Communication challenges frequently provide the first signals. You might notice asking people to repeat themselves more often, turning up television volume beyond others' comfort levels, or struggling to follow conversations in restaurants or group settings. Phone conversations may become unexpectedly difficult, particularly understanding unfamiliar voices.

Social behavioral changes often emerge as compensation strategies. You might find yourself avoiding social gatherings, feeling exhausted after conversations, or preferring written communication over phone calls. These adaptations, while natural, can gradually impact your quality of life and relationships.

Environmental awareness changes affect daily safety and enjoyment. Missing doorbell rings, car horns, or household sounds like running water or appliance beeps indicates possible hearing changes. You might also lose appreciation for music, bird songs, or other environmental sounds that previously brought joy.

Work performance impacts can include difficulty understanding colleagues during meetings, missing important announcements, or requiring written follow-ups for verbal instructions. These challenges may affect professional confidence and advancement opportunities.

Family observations often provide valuable insights. Loved ones might notice your hearing changes before you do, commenting on television volume, repeated requests for clarification, or apparent inattention during conversations.

Physical symptoms sometimes accompany hearing loss, including tinnitus (ringing sounds), ear fullness, or balance issues. These symptoms warrant professional evaluation regardless of perceived hearing changes.

The optimal time for hearing evaluation is when you first notice changes, not when they become significantly disruptive. Early intervention often provides better outcomes and easier adaptation to hearing technology. Our comprehensive evaluation process determines your exact hearing profile and whether hearing aids can enhance your communication confidence and life quality.

With proper care and maintenance, the average life of a hearing aid is around 5 years. However, their lifespan can vary based on several factors, and some may need replacement sooner while others can last longer.

Factors affecting hearing aid lifespan:

Style and build quality: Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids often last longer than in-the-ear styles because they're less exposed to moisture and earwax. Higher-quality devices with better construction generally have longer lifespans.

Usage patterns: Heavy daily use, exposure to moisture from sweating or humid conditions, and frequent handling can reduce lifespan. Active lifestyles may require more frequent replacements.

Maintenance habits: Regular cleaning, proper storage, and routine professional maintenance significantly extend hearing aid life. Neglecting care can lead to premature failure.

Environmental exposure: Dusty work environments, extreme temperatures, or frequent exposure to moisture can shorten device lifespan.

Technology changes: While your hearing aids may still function, you might choose to upgrade earlier to take advantage of newer features like Bluetooth connectivity, better noise reduction, or smartphone integration.

Signs it's time for new hearing aids:

• Frequent repairs needed despite good maintenance

• Decreased sound quality or performance

• Physical damage like cracks in the casing

• Your hearing has changed significantly

• Outdated technology no longer meets your needs

• Battery life becomes notably shorter

Maximizing hearing aid lifespan:

• Clean your hearing aids daily with appropriate tools

• Store them in a dry, safe place when not in use

• Use a dehumidifier or drying kit regularly

• Schedule routine maintenance visits with your audiologist

• Handle them gently and avoid dropping

• Keep them away from extreme temperatures

• Replace batteries promptly when low

Adjusting to new hearing aids is a gradual process that typically takes several weeks to a few months. Understanding what to expect can help you have realistic expectations and stay committed during this important adjustment period.

Initially, your own voice may sound strange or loud, and you might notice sounds you haven't heard in years – like the hum of appliances, rustling papers, or footsteps. This is normal and shows your hearing aids are working. Some people feel overwhelmed by all the new sounds, while others are excited to hear things they've been missing.

Common early experiences:

• Sounds may seem artificial or "tinny" at first

• Your voice might echo or sound different

• Background noises may seem prominent

• You might experience some ear fatigue from processing more sound

• Slight discomfort as your ears adjust to wearing the devices

Tips for successful adjustment:

• Start slowly by wearing your hearing aids for a few hours daily, gradually increasing wear time

• Begin in quiet environments before tackling noisy situations

• Practice listening to familiar voices and sounds

• Read aloud to get used to your own voice

• Be patient with yourself – adjustment takes time

Follow-up appointments are crucial:

Your audiologist will schedule several follow-up visits to fine-tune your hearing aids based on your experiences. Don't hesitate to report any concerns – adjustments can often resolve issues like feedback, discomfort, or unclear sound quality.

When to contact your audiologist:

• Physical discomfort or pain

• Persistent feedback (whistling sounds)

• Sounds that seem too loud or too soft

• Difficulty understanding speech after several weeks

• Any concerns about your progress

Stay committed:

Some people give up too early in the adjustment process. Research shows that people who wear their hearing aids consistently during the adjustment period have much better long-term success and satisfaction.