Frequently Asked Questions

Nope! If you feel you would benefit from a hearing assessment, you can schedule an appointment directly with the clinic.

Yes! We work with all major insurance providers and will submit on your behalf if possible.

Hearing aids often work great without the need of a program, but sometimes a dedicated program for a specific environment can be helpful. For example, a common complaint is trouble hearing in noise. If the hearing aid’s automatic program is not enough, your audiologist can create a dedicated ‘noise’ setting that is programmed to work best in noise. This might mean adding a directional mic and more aggressive noise management to improve hearing in that specific situation.

A cochlear implant is a neuroprosthesis that is used when an individual’s hearing loss is so profound, a hearing aid is no longer sufficient for the user to access sound. An electrode is surgically implanted inside the cochlea, replacing the frequency specific hair cells job in turning sound into an electrical signal and sending that information to the auditory nerve which then directs it to the brain. A processor is also visible on the cochlear implant user, with placement on the skull and over the ear. The processors job is to access and process sound which is then sent to the electrodes. Eligibility is often determined by a battery of tests performed by audiologists affiliated with cochlear implant centers.

Meniere’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that involves both the vestibular system and the auditory system. The cause is believed to be an excess of endolymph, which is a cochlear fluid. This excess fluid disrupts the vestibular system causing episodes of vertigo, and the hearing system causing tinnitus (often described as a low, rushing sound), aural fullness (the feeling of pressure in the ears), and hearing loss. Meniere’s disease usually affects only one ear, and treatment options exist to help minimize the negative symptoms people experience.

Tinnitus can sometimes be resolved, depending on what the underlying cause is. Certain medications can cause tinnitus and changing those medications can help resolve it. Pulsatile tinnitus, for example can be due to blood pressure or vascular issues, and can also very rarely be caused by a glomus tumour. Resolving those ailments will also resolve the tinnitus. If tinnitus is caused by damage in the auditory system, there are no medications, or tinnitus ‘ear drops’, that can completely resolve the ringing. Tinnitus symptoms can be managed however, click here to learn more.

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal. When water does not properly drain from the ear canal, the moist environment can create a breeding ground for bacteria, causing an infection. Symptoms of swimmer’s ear can range from mild itchiness, redness, light clear discharge and muffled hearing, to complete blockage of the ear due to swelling, a fever, and pain that can radiate to your face, head and neck. If you believe you have swimmer’s ear, you should seek medical attention. If you’re prone to this type of infection, custom swim plugs can help prevent water from entering the canal and preventing swimmer’s ear.

Wearing two hearing aids is important if you have hearing loss in both ears. The amount of volume needed from your hearing aids will be less and you will hear better, especially in noisy environments, if two hearing aids are worn. Hearing aids work better together as they relay information from each side to adjust noise management and the hearing aid microphones so you can hear better. You will also have better localization with two hearing aids, which is important for safety in your environment (if there is a truck coming, you will want to understand the direction it is coming from) and two hearing aids allow for better speech understanding in difficult environments. Better hearing is achieved with two hearing aids because you can better understand where speech is coming from so you can focus on it.