Hear, Here

By Dr. Dawn MacMillan, Audiologist Hearing aids are wonderful tools to assist those with hearing loss! They can make things louder when needed, brighter-sharper-clearer if that's what is needed. Modern digital hearing aids are based off a prescription, your hearing test, so your Audiologist can program in precisely the sounds you need. Instant-fit and over-the-counter (OTC) options cannot do this as they are typically programmed to a particular hearing loss shape and configuration. This is bad because it means some sounds you need to hear will be UNDER-amplified while other sounds are OVER-amplified, leading to dissatisfaction with the sound quality and for most, poor wearing habits. To get the most out of your investment, here are five tips to maximize success with hearing aids:  1.        Learn how your hearing aids work . Spend some time with your Audiologist, and really learn how hearing aids work.  A hearing aid fitting appointment ...

By: Dr. Dawn MacMillan, Audiologist Imagine this. You make the decision to eat better and lose a few pounds. You go to the grocery store and buy a cart full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean protein. You arrive home from the grocery store, put all the food away. You are ready to take control of your waistline! But the next time you go into the kitchen for a snack, you pick up a sugary, pre-packaged snack made by a lady named Debby. You repeat this over the next week, eating lunches out when friends ask, foamy coffee drinks when the late afternoon slump hits. You step on the scale and are shocked! What?!? You didn’t lose a single pound! Are you really shocked? Of course not! The fruits and veggies you bought are moldy and furry! You bought the food but didn’t get in the habit of eating it. Hearing aids are no different. You can have the test, buy the aids, have them professionally fit and that fitting verified but if that’s all you do when you leave their office, the hearin...