Hearing tests

Buying Hearing Aids Involves Preparation and Coaching Teamwork

By Monique Hammond / February 28, 2026 /

Note: For this blog, the discussion is limited to professional/ prescription hearing aids. Buying hearing aids can be a rather overwhelming journey. With myriads of instruments on the market, people wonder which ones are best for them. And so, it is said that the best hearing aids are those that patients actually use. Such instruments…

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Auditory Recruitment – A Treatable Side Effect of Hearing Loss

By Monique Hammond / January 17, 2026 / Comments Off on Auditory Recruitment – A Treatable Side Effect of Hearing Loss

Auditory Recruitment – also known as Loudness Recruitment – refers to a perceived rapid sound volume escalation in people with sensorineural hearing loss due to cochlear (inner ear) hearing cell damage. Even a small amplification boost can set off a fast and unexpected sound blast. Maybe this explains the observation that louder is not necessarily…

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Hearing Loss Apathy Leads to Failure of Seeking Treatment

By Monique Hammond / October 17, 2025 / Comments Off on Hearing Loss Apathy Leads to Failure of Seeking Treatment

Apathy is generally defined as a lack of motivation, interest or indifference towards an issue – in this case hearing loss. Hearing loss is upsetting and scary. It is a complicated communication disorder that affects every aspect of life and therefore quality of life. It takes motivation and persistence to get answers and not to…

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Still Plenty of Consumer Questions Regarding OTC Hearing Aids

By Monique Hammond / February 13, 2025 / Comments Off on Still Plenty of Consumer Questions Regarding OTC Hearing Aids

Hearing loss is a communication disorder that affects physical and emotional health. It calls for intervention and treatment. However, professional help may be hard to find and hearing aids are often unaffordable for many of those with hearing loss. To provide more accessible and affordable options, FDA-regulated Over-the-Counter (OTC) hearing aids were released for retail…

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Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) – When the Brain Doesn’t Hear Well!

By Monique Hammond / October 17, 2024 / Comments Off on Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) – When the Brain Doesn’t Hear Well!

Those with APD have communication issues. They mishear. They have trouble understanding speech-in-noise and following conversations. Words may be jumbled, missed or go unrecognized. Sound-alike words are easily confused. In children, APD leads to slow speech development and learning problems. This may sound like typical hearing loss, but it is quite different. Auditory Processing Disorder…

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Trouble Hearing and Understanding? Get a Diagnostic Hearing Test.

By Monique Hammond / September 18, 2024 / Comments Off on Trouble Hearing and Understanding? Get a Diagnostic Hearing Test.

Hearing is very complicated. There are many reasons why people can have hearing loss and not all hearing loss is the same. There are different types and degrees of hearing loss. But where is the problem? What part(s) of the ear is/are involved? Does the auditory cortex (hearing part of the brain) have trouble decoding…

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Why Medicare Does Not Cover Hearing Aids

By Monique Hammond / May 8, 2024 / Comments Off on Why Medicare Does Not Cover Hearing Aids

Medicare is a federal health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older. Younger people with certain disabilities and those with end-stage kidney disease also qualify. Medicare falls under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. Although it has undergone some changes since it was signed into action in 1965, the Original Medicare…

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Five Strategies to Protect and Preserve Hearing

By Monique Hammond / January 22, 2024 / Comments Off on Five Strategies to Protect and Preserve Hearing

Hearing connects us to our social and professional worlds. It allows us to enjoy the sounds of speech, nature, and music. Unfortunately, people all too often fail to appreciate this precious sense. They rarely feel motivated to protect and preserve their hearing. They take it for granted until it fades away and they experience the…

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Hearing Loss Increases Fall Risks

By Monique Hammond / October 27, 2023 / Comments Off on Hearing Loss Increases Fall Risks

To maintain body equilibrium, the brain coordinates input from the eyes and ears and from sensors located throughout the body in the muscles and bones. While normal hearing supports the brain’s balance function, hearing loss has a destabilizing effect and becomes a safety issue.  According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, even a mild hearing loss can…

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Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) Impacts Quality of Life and Safety

By Monique Hammond / August 22, 2023 / Comments Off on Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) Impacts Quality of Life and Safety

Unilateral Hearing Loss (UHL) is also called Single-Sided Hearing Loss, which means that only one ear has some degree of loss. When the loss becomes profound, it is referred to as Single-sided Deafness (SSD). Roughly 7% of adults in the United States have some degree of UHL. We hear our best when the brain gets…

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