We provide a full range of comprehensive diagnostic and rehabilitative audiology services. Our Doctors of Audiology treat each patient individually, creating a unique testing and treatment plan based on current research, evidence-based practices, and the latest technology.
Diagnostic Hearing Test
A comprehensive hearing test consists of a series of tests that allow us to get a complete picture of a patient’s ability to hear sounds, comprehend words, and understand speech in complex situations. The tests selected are tailored to the health and needs of each patient.
Hearing Aid Consultations
If a patient is a candidate for hearing aids or other assistive technologies, we will provide professional recommendations, outline all options, and discuss pricing plans during the consultation. We take the time to discuss the needs of each patient and offer multiple options to fit every lifestyle. The consultation is often part of the hearing evaluation appointment.
Assistive Listening Devices
Hearing loss is complicated! While hearing aids are often a major part of a hearing care plan, there are many important life situations that are require more or different help than hearing aids can offer.
This includes alternative amplification and hearing enhancement systems such as our pocket talkers. We often suggest these for folks who are bedridden or need a short term hearing solution in simple listening environments.
Assistive devices can help people with hearing loss hear alarm clocks, on the phone, or emergency alerts. Remote microphone systems can provide speech understanding in noise in the toughest environments.
With modern technology the options are endless! We enjoy sitting down with you to construct a comprehensive plan to ensure all of your goals are met and any appropriate resources that address your needs are found.
Hearing Aid Fitting
Real Ear Measures are the Gold Standard of hearing aid fitting and care. The process involves placing tiny microphone tubes in the ear canal along with the hearing aids to measure the sound output at the eardrum. Adjustments can then be made to the hearing aid settings via computer and wireless antenna or cables to make those sound levels match prescriptive targets. Decades of research have taught us how to optimize the relationships between loudnesses and pitches for a given hearing loss to maximize benefit. This process also allows us to measure and be sure that no sound could be amplified excessively to the point of creating additional hearing loss.
Tinnitus Assessment & Treatment
Tinnitus, commonly known as ringing in the ears, is a condition that is often related to hearing loss, but can also exist without any other hearing-related symptoms. Tinnitus is typically a transient, subjective condition that can be difficult to manage, but there are a variety of treatment options available. If you have questions or concerns about your tinnitus, please contact our office to set up a consultation with one of our audiologists.
Cochlear Implant Assessment and Management
Cochlear Implants are an amazing solution for individuals with severe-to-profound hearing losses. Our office offers assessments to determine if implantable solutions may work well, and helping the navigate the options for care. In partnership with Dr. McElveen at Carolina Ear and Hearing Clinic and the Cochlear Providers Network, we can help even the most severe hearing loss. We are also able to offer management, support, and mapping to current cochlear implant users.
Hearing Protection & Other Custom Products
We work with several companies to provide you with the best option for your individual hearing protection needs. Other custom products include musician’s ear plugs, swim plugs, and custom headphone ear pieces. Please contact our office for more details and prices.
We frequently provide the service of taking ear impressions for individuals who wish to order custom made devices on their own. We are familiar with protocols for Ultimate Ears, Westone, and others.
Auditory Training
What many people don’t realize is that hearing aids do not truly correct hearing loss the way that glasses correct a refractory vision loss. Most adult hearing loss is a breakdown of the cells that actually encode sound for the nerves, which means that their function cannot be replaced. Macular degeneration or glaucoma would be better analogies for what happens. As a result, hearing aids can help tremendously by providing access to lost sounds. They do not, however, restore clarity. As a result, support to training the brain to use the sound accessed through hearing aids or through a compromised hearing system greatly improves hearing abilities for some patients. We offer several at-home auditory training options that function like physical therapy for the ears, walking through computer-based activities daily for a period of time to retrain the brain for optimal hearing. To learn more about auditory training visit us in Durham, NC.
Routine Follow-up and Continued Care
After the initial hearing aid fitting process is complete, we encourage our patients to follow a regular and proactive maintenance routine. This routine consists of quarterly (every 3-4 months) hearing aid clean and check appointments. At this appointment, we check all components of your hearing aids, clean them thoroughly, remove any excess moisture, and replace all non-electronic parts of the devices. We also listen to the hearing aids to make sure they sound clear and at the appropriate volume. Following this regular schedule keeps the hearing aids functioning properly and lasting longer over time.
Second Opinion Clinic
We are pleased to offer a no judgement assessment of hearing technology obtained elsewhere that may not be meeting your goals. We can clean, check, and measure your hearing aids’ ability to match your amplification prescription and their ability to reduce competing nosies using Real Ear Measures. We can help you better understand how to use your devices to their best benefit, and review what you can expect them to be able to do and their limits.
We can do this with devices from the VA, other audiologists, hearing instrument dispensers, Costco, and Amazon. We can even assess hearing protection devices to verify their true in-ear attenuation ratings. Some devices are “unlocked” and we have the ability to do a full refit if you choose, others will have limits to our control. We will review such findings as part of the visit.
This service does incur a charge, ranging from $175-$500 or more if we are conducting repairs or replacing parts. We charge for this time and service so that we have no motivation to need to sell you on something different. Our goal with this service is to help you understand and get the most out of what you have. We do strongly recommend bringing a hearing test conducted within the past six months or retesting with us so that we are working with up-to-date information.
