In case of difficulty hearing or tinnitus – a detailed hearing test will be performed by our Audiologist

• Before starting with the Hearing Evaluation, an Otoscopic exam of the ears will be carried out, followed by Tympanometry (pressure test for the middle ear) and a test to check a certain part in the inner ear, that is important for hearing i.e. Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAEs)
• This will be accompanied by Pure-Tone and Speech testing. The Pure-tone testing will help determine if the hearing loss is temporary (middle-ear related) or permanent (due to nerve damage). Speech testing will help in determining the clarity in differentiating speech sounds. This test is important in determining whether a hearing aid fitting will be successful or not and help in counseling the patient in case hearing aids have to be recommended

Infants and toddlers are tested using Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) or Conditioned Play Audiometry (CPA) in the sound-field.

Hearing aids are recommended to patients diagnosed with Sensori-Neural Hearing Loss (SNHL) or with conductive hearing loss where surgery is not an option

• Different hearing aid styles and technologies will be discussed by our Audiologist, and in most situations patient will be able to try out a pair of hearing aids that are recommended based on the patient’s hearing loss and patient’s listening requirements
• Different Validation and Verification methods can be used to determine the effectiveness of the devices that are fit at Hearing Aid Delivery and Orientation (HADO) appointment
• Counseling the patient regarding realistic expectations and hearing aid use is an important part of the process of fitting hearing aids

A conformity follow-up appointment is scheduled 2 weeks post- HADO appointment. Follow-up patient care will be scheduled as needed.
*** We provide Care Credit and in-office (no-interest) payment plans to make this process easier and affordable for you

No matter how much your hearing aid cost, routine cleaning and care of your hearing aids is essential.

Cleaning your Hearing Aids

• Wipe your hearing aids with a soft dry cloth
• Do not use any wipes or alcohol or water
• Use the provided brush and the wax loop to brush of any dry debris from the receiver and the microphones or the ear molds
• Your hearing care provider will show you how to change the wax guard. Changing it in 2-3 month or if the aids sound weak is a great way to keep the wax out of the receiver
• Another way to keep the wax out of the aids is to keep your ears free of wax. Talk to your hearing care professional about it

Caring for your hearing aids

• Do not use your hearing aids when swimming, during showers/saunas
• It is important to open the battery door at the end of the day to air the aids
• Using a Dry-Aid kit helps keep moisture out of the aids, especially in the hot summers or if you perspire a lot
• Check your aids periodically for any cracks or damage and contact your HCP as soon as possible
• Put hairspray or face powder/makeup before wearing the hearing aids
• Periodic hearing aid recheck appointments are a great way of taking care of your hearing aids

Storing your Hearing Aids

• Make sure that your keep your hearing aids in the box provided when they are not in the ears
• Having a set place for the aids minimizes the chances of losing them
• Your hearing aids should be in your ears during the day or in the box or charger at night

Some hearing aids that are rechargeable come with a set of instructions on how to use the charger.
Speak with your Audiologist in case you are interested in switching to rechargeable hearing aids. This eliminates the hassles of buying batteries, storing them and changing them frequently.
Call 248-549-9035 to make an appointment.

Hearing Aid Batteries

• Most Hearing aid batteries need to be replaced anywhere from 5 -10 days depending on the duration of use and the severity of the hearing loss
• The Rechargeable hearing aid batteries need to be replaced in 3-5 years depending on the duration of use and the severity of hearing loss
• For the batteries that need to be replaced in 5-10 days, it is important to store them in a dry place
• In case of the Zinc-Air batteries do not remove the sticker on the battery till it needs to be used

Batteries are poisonous. Call “Battery Ingestion Hotline” in case they are swallowed. That number can be found on the back of the battery package.

Hearing Aid Repair

• Newly purchased hearing aids come with a repair warranty and a Loss and Damage coverage
• For hearing aids that are not in warranty, our hearing care professional will advise you regarding the cost of repair and send your device to the manufacturer for servicing
• The best course of action will be suggested to you, while your hearing care professional acts as a link between you and the manufacturer
• Depending on the availability, we can fit you with a loaner till your hearing aids come back from repair
• Most manufacturers offer a 6 - 12 month repair warranty when the devices are sent in for repair

• Custom earplugs are available as Swim-plugs, Noise-plugs, Musician’s-earplugs, etc.
• Custom swim-plugs provide a better seal for preventing water getting into the ears, especially for patients who have perforations or PE tubes in their eardrums
• Certain custom Noise -plugs can dampen the sounds by upto 29dB and protect the ears from damage
• Musician’s earplugs can be fit with dampening filters so that the sounds are softer

• Call us at 248-549-9035 for more details

Tinnitus is the perception of a ringing, buzzing, hissing, or roaring sound in one or both ears. It could vary in intensity, and could be intermittent or non-stop. Sometimes it can be so loud that it prevents you from hearing what someone is saying, and/or you can hear it even in background noise. It may also prevent you from falling asleep and functioning to your fullest potential.

If you or your loved one is suffering from Tinnitus, make an appointment to get your hearing evaluated by our state-licensed Audiologist. In order to assess and quantify the extent of difficulty that your tinnitus is causing you, we have introduced to our practice “Tinnitus Evaluation” and the use of Tinnitus Handicap Inventory. The evaluation involves a 30-45 minute long test that is covered by most insurances. The test helps us quantify the loudness and pitch of your tinnitus, thus helping in the treatment of it.

Tinnitus can be a result of damage to the tiny hair on auditory cells in the inner ear. This happens when the cells are stressed or damaged, resulting in the distortion of the signal that they send to the brain. This results in the perception of tinnitus.

The damage to the hair cells can be due to normal aging, or can be a result of exposure to loud noise, or ototoxic medications or disease of the inner ear. Sometimes, tinnitus may not originate due to the damaged auditory system but, may be due to temporo-mandibular joint dysfunction. Stress and neck injuries can also cause tinnitus.

Most cases, tinnitus would also indicate some nerve-related hearing loss!!!

One of the treatment methods for treating Tinnitus is the use of Tinnitus maskers. Our audiologist will discuss different options/strategies and devices that will help you cope with your Tinnitus. Many patients, who have a nerve-related hearing loss and tinnitus, find relief from Tinnitus just by the use of hearing aids.

We offer a wide range of pricing and the best technology hearing aids. We offer tiny completely-in-the-canal hearing aids to rechargeable hearing aids. Today’s hearing aids help you hear in the presence of back-ground noise by amplifying the speech signal while reducing the interfering background noise and can also function as “Tinnitus Maskers” at the same time !

The treatment approach is highly individualized and it is therefore important to take that first step and call our office.
Call us today