Hearing Health Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
The longer your brain goes without hearing certain sounds/frequencies, the more it loses its ability to understand those frequencies. If that happens, then even if you do get hearing aids that let you hear those sounds again, your brain still won’t be able to process those sounds. It’s important to get hearing aids sooner rather than later so you have better results with your hearing aids. If you’re not ready to get hearing aids just yet, we suggest getting your hearing tested every year to help keep track of your hearing loss and whether its worsening.
Hearing loss is not the same thing as deafness. Many people with hearing loss can still hear the voices around them, but they have a hard time understanding what they hear. It’s a lack of clarity, not a total absence of sound. This happens because you’ve lost the ability to hear certain frequencies, which are necessary to distinguish between different words. A hearing evaluation will let us determine which frequencies you have trouble hearing, and properly programmed hearing aids can help address what you specifically need help with.
It’s important to have realistic expectations; hearing aids can’t restore your hearing to how it used to be before hearing loss. But they will drastically improve your ability to hear. If you get hearing aids early, when you first notice the signs of hearing loss, you will experience more benefit from your hearing aids in the long term.
Like any medical device, hearing aids require regular maintenance. We will walk you through how to clean your hearing aids and how to change the batteries. You will also want to keep them away from humidity and moisture, so don’t wear them swimming or in the shower, and store them overnight somewhere dry instead of in the bathroom.
Some hearing loss occurs naturally with aging, so it’s important to have your hearing checked annually even if you have been careful. However, you can reduce your chances of developing hearing loss (and potentially avoid more severe damage) by avoiding loud activities and wearing hearing protection.
Hearing loss often happens so gradually that you might not even notice that you are having trouble hearing until years later. Often times, a family member or friend may notice the signs first. If you’ve noticed any of the following signs, you might have hearing loss:
- You turn the TV up louder than you used to.
- Other people seem to be mumbling.
- You have to ask people to repeat themselves often.
- Your family complains that you don’t understand them.
- You pull away from social encounters because you don’t feel comfortable talking to people.
Schedule an Appointment!
- (813) 558-1477
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264 Crystal Grove Blvd.
Lutz, FL 33548 - Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM
(please call for walk-in hours)
- (813) 634-7600
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4040 Upper Creek Dr. #103,
Sun City Center, FL 33573 - Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM
(please call for walk-in hours)
- (727) 576-6160
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4551 Mainlands Blvd. Ste. A
Pinellas Park, FL 33782 - Monday-Friday: 9AM-4PM
(please call for walk-in hours)
- (727) 807-7082
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6640 Van Buren St.
New Port Richey, FL 34653
(Mobile office – by appointment only)