Hearing Care FAQs

A Bluetooth hearing aid is a modern hearing device that uses Bluetooth technology to connect wirelessly to your smartphone, tablet, or TV. This allows you to stream phone calls, music, podcasts, and audio directly to your hearing aids, giving you clearer sound and more convenience.

Bluetooth also means you can adjust your hearing aids with a smartphone app, so you can customize programs and settings right from your phone.

If you want better sound quality, hands-free calls, and advanced features, Bluetooth hearing aids are absolutely worth it.

Yes—noise-induced hearing loss is preventable. To protect your hearing:

• Turn down the volume on headphones and audio devices
• Limit exposure to loud environments
• Wear hearing protection (earplugs or earmuffs) at concerts, sporting events, or when using power tools

Taking these steps can help you avoid permanent hearing damage.

Most types of hearing loss—such as those caused by aging, noise exposure, illness, or ototoxic medications—cannot be reversed or cured.

However, hearing loss from earwax buildup or ear infections can often be treated by a hearing care professional, restoring normal hearing.

If you experience sudden hearing loss, seek immediate help from an audiologist or hearing specialist. Early treatment is critical.

• Sensorineural Hearing Loss – Most common; caused by inner ear or nerve damage (aging, noise exposure, injury or disease, genetics).
• Conductive Hearing Loss – Sound can’t travel through the outer or middle ear (earwax, fluid, injury).
• Mixed Hearing Loss – A combination of both types, often due to trauma or medical conditions.

Untreated hearing loss can lead to:

• Communication difficulties
• Social isolation and anxiety
• Higher risk of falls and safety issues
• Cognitive decline

If you suspect hearing loss, see a hearing care professional as soon as possible.

• Asking people to repeat themselves
• Turning up the TV or radio volume
• Difficulty hearing on the phone
• Feeling tired after conversations
• Avoiding social situations

Presbycusis is hearing loss due to aging. It usually affects both ears and is sensorineural. Factors include:

• Changes in auditory structures
• Family history
• Noise exposure
• Certain medications

There’s no medical “cure” for tinnitus, but it can be managed effectively. Treatments include:

• Hearing aids with tinnitus masking features
• Sound therapy
• Counseling techniques

Work with a hearing care professional to find the right plan.

Yes! Hearing aids an be an effective tool for managing tinnitus. They will often reduce tinnitus perception by amplifying external sounds and reducing contrast with internal ringing. Many devices include built-in tinnitus relief programs. While hearing aids don’t “cure” tinnitus, they can significantly reduce how much it affects your daily life.

Yes, some medications can cause tinnitus (that ringing or buzzing in the ears) as a side effect, particularly those that are ototoxic (medications or chemicals that can damage the inner ear or the auditory nerve), either temporarily or in rare cases persistently.

Whether your specific medication is known to do this depends on the drug and the dose. If you are experiencing tinnitus, it is important to let your health care provider know so they can review your medication list and make any adjustments if needed. Please do not stop taking medication without talking to your prescribing doctor first.

There are a few factors known to make tinnitus feel more noticeable or bothersome.

These include:

• Exposure to loud noises
• Elevated stress and anxiety levels
• Poor sleep hygiene
• Certain dietary stimulants, like caffeine or alcohol

Additionally, some medications – particularly ototoxic drugs – can contribute to worsening tinnitus. Hearing loss is also a common underlying factor, and in many cases, the brain’s response to reduced hearing ability can make tinnitus more noticeable. Be sure to consult us if you notice a change in your tinnitus.

The best way to clean your ears is to let them do their job—ears are naturally self-cleaning. Earwax (cerumen) usually works its way out on its own. You can gently wipe the outer ear with a damp washcloth, but avoid going inside the ear canal.

If earwax builds up and causes discomfort or affects your hearing aids, seek help from a hearing care professional, ENT doctor, or your primary care provider. In some cases, over-the-counter or prescription ear drops can help soften wax before removal.

The worst ways to clean your ears include:

• Cotton swabs – These push wax deeper, risking eardrum damage and even hearing loss.
• Ear candling – Inserting a lit candle into your ear is ineffective and dangerous.
• Sharp objects like hairpins or toothpicks – These can scratch your ear canal or puncture the eardrum.

Yes. Earwax buildup or outer/middle ear infections can block sound and cause temporary hearing loss.

• Middle ear infections may lead to fluid buildup and pressure on the eardrum, which can sometimes cause permanent hearing loss if severe or chronic.
• Inner ear infections can cause fluctuating or permanent hearing loss and may lead to vertigo.

Our hearing care professional will:

• Examine your ears visually
• Perform tests using headphones, bone conduction devices, or speakers
• Possibly conduct tympanometry to check middle ear health

Afterward, they’ll review your results and recommend solutions tailored to your hearing loss and lifestyle.

• Adults without hearing problems: every 3–5 years
• Age 60 and older: annually, even if you think your hearing is fine
• Hearing aid users: follow our recommendation for regular checkups

Signs include:

• Difficulty understanding conversations, especially in noise
• Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
• Turning up the TV or radio volume
• Feeling like others are mumbling
• Hearing ringing in your ears (tinnitus)

Modern hearing aids use digital sound processing, AI, and wireless technology to deliver clear sound in any situation. They automatically adjust to different environments and distinguish speech from noise for a better listening experience.

The best hearing aids are constantly analyzing the environment, making millions of adjustments per minute, and are smart enough to distinguish between speech and noise so they don’t just make everything louder. Our hearing care professionals can recommend the best technology for your individual needs.

Today’s best hearing aids are more durable than ever. Many of them are actually waterproof and sweatproof and designed to handle the daily grind we know people put them through!

Regular care and maintenance is required, including daily cleaning and proper storage. If you maintain your hearing aids, they can typically function well for about 3-to-5 years, although many people like to upgrade their hearing aids sooner as technology is continuously changing and delivering new and more beneficial features.

Hearing care is healthcare. Just as you visit your doctor, optometrist or dentist for your healthcare needs, you should visit a hearing care professional for your hearing needs. Professionals provide:

• Comprehensive hearing tests
• Medical referrals if needed
• Personalized hearing aid recommendations

Hearing aids aren’t like glasses where the moment you put them on everything magically gets clearer. It takes time to get used to hearing aids, because your brain needs to adjust to hearing sounds you haven’t heard for a while.

The best way to get used to wearing your hearing aids is to wear your hearing aids. Wear them in your normal daily listening situations, whether quiet or noisy environments.

This gives your brain the opportunity to adapt to hearing the world as you did before having a hearing loss. For some people this can happen in a matter of weeks; for others it may take several months.

Working with our hearing care professionals can provide adjustments and counseling to make sure you hear your best in every situation.