How do I clean my aid?
First you must know that approximately 90% or more in-the-ear style hearing aids needing repair are due to wax entering the receiver. Careful cleaning and office visits can save you $100.00 and more! There is not much that we can do about the ear producing wax. The glands responsible for this in our ear canals have a mind of their own and sometimes produce much more wax than is needed for protection of the ear. Yes, protection. Ear wax is not dirt! It's nature's way to keep out infection, insects and more. Wax should be removed by medical personnel. Keep out the swabs, bobby pins, pens etc. Your focus should be on wiping off the aid at night and every time you remove it from your ear! A careful visual examination under a bright light and a magnifier is the best way to see what you're doing. If you see wax, carefully remove it with the tools provided by your specialist, without pushing it in further. When in doubt, bring it in to your specialist.

Should I keep my batteries in the refrigerator?
Absolutely not! Today's hearing aid batteries are made with Zinc. They have a good shelf life, but if put in the refrigerator, they will accumulate moisture and cause corrosion in your hearing aid.
When zinc air batteries are fresh they have a minimum guaranteed shelf life of one year. Buy them fresh! Check for expiration dates. When they are on sale at pharmacies or discount stores, it may be because they are an older batch. It is much easier to monitor their freshness in a Hearing Instrument Specialist's office where we do not sell many other products. A fresh battery will give you consistant life. An old battery might go dead at any time. You may save a couple dollars but you'll save more dollars by doing business with your specialist. Customers that buy batteries from me on a regular basis get more "freebies" when they come in for service. It's my way of thanking them for being dedicated customers. Keep your batteries in a dry cool place, like a desk drawer and order a 4-6 month supply at a time.

Where to purchase a hearing aid.
You thought I would say HERE please! Sorry if I disapointed you. It's not that I don't want your business- I do! What's more important is that YOU feel comfortable where you go, that YOU get excellent service and hear as well as possible and for a fair price. You do not want to feel rushed into making a decision without exploring all your options. If your doctor recommends a hearing aid and conveniently sends you across the hall, that is not giving you much choice. Good service is very important and you'll need it for the life of your hearing aid. Take your hearing test results to two or three Hearing Instrument Specialists. Shop for a professional who is caring, fully equipped, highly experienced and fairly priced. If you feel like you're in a factory, then you're in the wrong place. Hearing aids can require a lot of service; It's a marriage between specialist and patient. Select carefully and have a pleasant experience!

When Do I need a hearing aid?
This question is debatable, but there are several things to ask yourself. Are you turning up the TV louder than others can tolerate? Do you avoidsocial situationthat often prove embarrassing? How often do you ask people to repeat themselves? All of these symptoms point to a hearing loss that is affecting your lifestyle. A hearing loss is a frustrating experience. You should always have a loss examined in case of underlying medical conditions. If you choose to try a hearing aid, it is because you want to live life to it's fullest! It's a mentally tough person that say's "I want to hear better, I don't care what it takes." Years ago vanity was an issue, now with completely in the canal models it isn't. Background noise has also been reduced due to the developement of digital hearing products. The human brain wants to hear, it is more difficult to recover from a hearing loss when you wait too long. Hearing is a learned process and the brain needs continuous practice processing information sent from the inner ear. We offer a sixty day trial, so "what are you waiting for"?