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Close up of two fingers holding a single hearing aid with an older woman in the background.

How to Adjust to Life with New Hearing Aids

Getting new hearing aids marks an exciting step toward better hearing. Yet this journey comes with an adjustment period that requires patience and practice. The brain needs time to relearn how to process sounds it hasn’t heard for a while, making the hearing aid adjustment process both rewarding and challenging. This guide provides practical tips for a smooth transition to life with hearing devices. We’ll explore managing expectations, practicing listening techniques, and caring for your devices to help you maximize your investment in better hearing. Set Realistic Expectations Your brain requires time to adapt to the sounds flooding back into your

A doctor standing beside a patient conducting a hearing test.

5 Signs You May Need a Hearing Test and When to Book One

Changes in your ability to hear often develop slowly over time. This gradual progression makes them surprisingly easy to overlook or brush off as temporary issues. Many people put off getting a hearing test until their problems become severe, affecting their daily lives and relationships. The good news? Early detection of hearing loss can dramatically improve your quality of life and treatment options. Catching problems early gives you more choices and better outcomes. This post covers five key warning signs that suggest it’s time to see an audiologist, plus guidance on when to schedule your appointment. 1. You’re Constantly Asking “What?”

Can Earwax Cause Hearing Loss?

Earwax, often misunderstood as an annoying or even harmful build-up, is actually one of your body’s natural defenses. This waxy substance, medically known as cerumen, plays an essential role in keeping your ears clean and protected. But could earwax also be the reason behind your muffled hearing or discomfort? If you’ve been struggling with hearing issues, it’s possible earwax could be the cause. This post explores what earwax is, how it can impact your hearing, and offers practical tips for safe earwax removal. What is Earwax and Why Do We Have It? Earwax might seem like an inconvenience, but it’s both

How to Protect Your Hearing and Prevent Hearing Loss

Hearing is woven into the fabric of our daily lives. It lets us enjoy the melodies of music, share in conversations, and stay connected to the world around us. Yet, hearing loss often creeps in gradually, making it easy to overlook until it becomes a serious issue. The reality is clear—once hearing is lost, it’s permanent. That’s why taking proactive steps to protect your hearing is essential. This guide will explore practical and effective ways to maintain healthy hearing and prevent hearing loss. Why Protecting Your Hearing is Essential Hearing health plays a crucial role in your overall well-being. It impacts

When is the Right Time to Upgrade Your Hearing Aids?

Have you noticed your hearing aids aren’t quite keeping up with your needs lately? Or perhaps you’re struggling in settings where they used to perform flawlessly. Like any piece of technology, hearing aids have a lifespan. Over time, wear and tear, evolving technology, and changes in hearing health could leave you wondering if it’s time for a hearing aid upgrade. Upgrading your hearing aids may unlock improved performance and features that better align with your current needs. In this post, we’ll cover everything from understanding the lifespan of hearing aids to signs you might benefit from an upgrade. Together, let’s see

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PROTECTIVE RESPONSE

Most of us have experienced a stuffy feeling in our ears after being exposed to loud noise. This protective response, known as “temporary threshold shift” (TTS), is the body’s way of protecting itself from extreme sound. This upward shift in the threshold of human hearing, which is usually caused by being subjected to a loud sound, involves reducing the hearing mechanism’s sensitivity to excessive noise. While most people recover from a TTS event in a day or two, it isn’t something you should ignore. It means that the noise to which you have been exposed could damage your hearing. Regular exposure

MENIERE’S DISEASE

The inner ear plays a role in processing hearing, but the balance (vestibular) portion of the inner ear is also responsible for orienting the body in space. The semicircular canals of the inner ear are filled with fluid, the motion of which determines signals that are sent to the brain. When the inner ear and other senses send mixed signals, it results in the feeling of dizziness. While there are many types of dizziness, Meniere’s disease is mentioned because it is often accompanied by hearing loss. Initially, sound sensitivity, then progress to episodes of vertigo and hearing loss. Eventually, most Meniere’s

GRADUAL INTRODUCTION

A new procedure helps seniors address a common problem that many have in adjusting to new hearing instruments due to experiencing new sounds that they may find confusing and irritating. As a result, those aged 70-85 years may simply choose not to wear their hearing instruments or even abandon them altogether. The new intervention procedure seeks to ensure better wearer compliance by asking seniors to wear their instruments for a set amount of time and gradually increase the duration daily over a 30-day period. They begin with one hour for three days and then increased the time by one-hour increments every

EASILY EXPLAINED HEARING LOSS

While some forms of hearing loss fall into the “sensorineural” category (involving damage to the inner ear), “conductive” hearing loss is associated with a problem in the middle or outer ear that impedes sound waves from reaching the inner ear. Most common among this type of hearing loss are blockages caused by earwax (cerumen), which is the yellowish, waxy substance secreted by glands in the outer portion of the ear canal. Normally, as the skin of the ear canal grows outward from the eardrum, it carries wax to the ear opening as if it were on a conveyer belt. While proper,