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Those who are just starting to experience hearing loss have many more options available to them these days. However, with so many choices, it may be challenging to choose the right one for you. To easily compare the difference between traditional hearing aids and...
At Hearing & Balance Doctors, we employ only doctors of audiology. It is one thing that makes our clinic great and sets us apart from other clinics in the region. People sometimes ask us, “What is a doctor of audiology?” A doctor of audiology is a professional...
Back in November, we launched our competition, Hear for the Holidays. It gave local people the opportunity to win a free pair of hearing aids, as well as access to our expert ongoing audiological care. There’s no catch – we just want to change someone’s life for the...
Across Utah and Nevada, we have a strong sense of family. Our communities are filled with so many families that we’ve had the pleasure of meeting, and we are happy to be a part of it. My family and I love living here. Helping families communicate and enjoy a...
As COVID-19 swept across the globe in 2020, our way of life changed dramatically. To ensure the safety of patients in our clinic as well as medical facilities everywhere, new techniques and technologies have become a necessary part of providing care. We have added new...
With males more likely to develop a hearing loss, it’s essential to know a few things about why these statistics occur. I deal with concerned wives and partners daily in our loving community. At Hearing & Balance Doctors, we’re proud to support family members of...
Your brain will rust when you don’t wear your hearing aids often. Let me explain. When I was a young boy, with hopes to play college basketball, my dad would often say, “Practice makes perfect.” Can you imagine how poorly I would’ve played without practicing all...
Hearing aids have come a long way over the past few decades. They are now complex minicomputers that not only analyze and amplify incoming sound but can also connect to smartphones and stream phone calls and music. As hearing aids have become more advanced, there is...
We hear you. You’re so tired of telling your family to back off and leave you alone and that you don’t have hearing loss. And if you did, you’d know. Never fear. We’ve got your back! All will be revealed. Think of us as a team of X-men (and X-women) with hearing fact...
The hearing care industry has changed massively over the last few years, with staggering advancements in technology. This improved technology has encouraged many people to take control of their hearing challenges and benefit from the powerful and discreet devices...
Hearing loss symptoms are easy to identify, right? They are harder to recognize than you might think, especially in the early stages. Similar to deteriorating eyesight, hearing loss worsens when it remains untreated. Correcting the condition earlier, rather than later...
Ninety percent of the nearly 4 million individuals who invest in hearing aid technology each year are satisfied with their purchase and would recommend them to friends with a hearing loss. Hearing aids can help transform your life, restore relationships, and help get...
So, you’ve made the incredibly wise decision to seek treatment for your hearing loss. But, what now? The world of hearing aid technology can be a minefield. With so many different manufacturers and models to choose from, it can be challenging to know where to start...
I recently had a 56-year-old man come to see me with tinnitus (ringing and high-pitched steady noise) in both ears. And while he had a known and documented moderate hearing loss, he stated that this had been going on for several years but as of recent, it had become...
It’s no surprise that the internet has found a way to capitalize on hearing loss. With the popularity of online hearing devices growing, we are seeing more and more patients come in with questions about them. And with good reason, the marketing teams behind these...
Your ears have a unique relationship with the rest of your body and overall health. Poor hearing can lead to an array of problems that extend well beyond not being able to hear. Conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression are a few...
One of the most important components of any relationship is good communication. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings, frustration, resentment, and more. Our sense of hearing is critical to our ability to communicate with others. The negative impact of...
Do you love your hearing aids? Do you love the way they fit? Do you love the way they sound? Do you love the service that accompanies the devices? As doctors of audiology, we want our patients to love their hearing aids. We want our patients to be able to enjoy the...
Tinnitus is more common than you think. In fact, about 50 million Americans experience some form of short (lasting a few seconds or a few minutes) or long-term (ongoing or continuous) tinnitus. Out of those 50 million, a little over 20% or 12 million people experience...
Surviving a walk through a minefield wearing a blindfold and finding an insurance company that provides reliable and comprehensive healthcare coverage carries the same odds. Although Americans spend more on healthcare insurance than in any other country in the world,...
Hearing tests should have equal importance as having your cholesterol or blood pressure checked, an annual physical, or an eye test when it comes to maintaining your overall wellness. In spite of the fact that hearing loss is the third most common health issue in...
Hearing & Balance Doctors is excited to announce the winners of our annual Hear for the Holidays contest! Every year, we give away several sets of free hearing aids – along with all accompanying service – to deserving candidates. Nominations are accepted all year...
There have not been many new hearing aids released in 2020. However, just within the past few months, two new technologies have been released: the Widex Moment and the ReSound ONE. Hearing aid technology continues to gradually improve over time, and our clinic has...
Hearing & Balance Doctors is excited to announce our 14th annual Hear for the Holidays contest. This contest allows people in our community to nominate loved ones for free hearing aids this holiday season. There are no obligations associated with this contest – in...
In response to the current pandemic, many of us are wearing face masks in public places. For people with a hearing loss, this introduces unique challenges: muffled voices, the inability to see mouths and visual speech cues, and the need for extra volume in their...
Wearing face masks in conjunction with hearing aids has presented a unique problem. Most hearing aids, approximately 75%, sit behind the ear. Most face masks have an elastic that stretches behind each ear and holds the mask in place. The elastic from the mask can...
Purchasing a hearing aid can be an intimidating process. There are many options, and no one wants to make a bad decision on something as important as their hearing. When advising people, I always give them three points of advice. Find a good local clinic. Make sure...
The recent coronavirus pandemic has affected all of our lives. In Utah, Governor Herbert has issued a directive to “stay safe/stay home” as much as possible. In following this directive, many of us have spent much more time at home. In this article, we would like to...
The link between hearing loss and dementia has been well documented over the last decade. Beginning with Dr. Frank Lin’s research in 2011 at Johns Hopkins Medical Center and the National Institute on Aging, we learned that seniors with a hearing loss are more likely...
Is there any way to treat tinnitus? Yes, there are treatment options. However, there are also some illegitimate options that should be avoided. What is tinnitus? Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, affects millions of Americans. Tinnitus can be managed in a variety of...
Another year has passed as 2019 is now in the rear-view mirror. It was a year in which we were captivated by James Holzhauer’s massive winning streak on Jeopardy!, Popeye’s chicken sandwich, and baby Yoda. It was also another year in which the hearing aid industry...
Recent estimates suggest that nearly 1 in 5 Americans has a significant hearing loss. That means over 48 million people in this country could benefit from improved hearing. And 90% of all hearing losses cannot be cured medically and are best treated with hearing aids....
Hearing & Balance Doctors is excited to announce our 12th annual Hear for the Holidays contest. This contest allows people in our community to nominate loved ones for free hearing aids this holiday season. There are no obligations associated with this contest – in...
As doctors of audiology, our patients often implore us to “tell me about your hearing aids.” Our patients are commonly under the false assumption that we have one specific hearing aid at our clinic that we recommend to all of our patients. This is not the case and...
In the summer, many of us enjoy outdoor recreational activities: swimming, camping, biking, shooting, and much more. Many of these activities, such as swimming & biking, are quiet, while others, such as shooting & motorcycles, can be quite noisy. Most of us...
There are many factors that create a successful hearing aid fit. We call this the perfect fit. While each patient is uniquely different, the process is similar for everyone. We begin by providing an otoscopic evaluation of the ear canal followed by thorough testing of...
Recently, I was able to attend the annual convention of the American Academy of Audiology. This year, the conference was held in Columbus, Ohio, and provided educational opportunities for audiologists like myself to stay current in the latest trends in our field. Some...
Hearing loss affects more than 9 million Americans over the age of 65 and 10 million Americans ages 45 to 64, but only about 20% of people who actually need hearing aids wear them. According to a recent study by Jamie Desjardins, PhD, an assistant professor in the...
February is traditionally the month of love. With Valentine’s Day comes boxes of chocolates, romantic dinners, and bouquets of flowers. One of the most important components of any relationship is good communication. Poor communication can lead to misunderstandings,...
The year 2018 has come and gone. It was a year in which the Eagles won the Super Bowl, the highest-grossing movie was Black Panther, and we argued over whether we heard “Yanni,” or “Laurel.” It was also a year in which the world of technology continued to advance....
Is there any legitimate way to treat tinnitus? I was asked this question yesterday by a friend of mine while at church. He wanted to know if there was anything that could be done to help the ringing sound he hears in his ears. The short answer to his question is...
Do you have trouble understanding the dialogue on television or in the movies? Do you feel that the background noise and the music overwhelm what is being said? If so, you are not alone. This is a common sentiment expressed in our clinic. Individuals with a hearing...
If you had to conjure one image evoking autumn, it would be brightly-colored leaves falling from the trees. If you don’t use care, however, you may see your hearing aids fall out this season, right along with the foliage. Fallen hearing aids can easily become lost or...
Technology changes rapidly in our modern world. From robot vacuum cleaners like the Roomba to Amazon’s voice-activated personal assistant named Alexa, technology is part of our everyday lives more than ever before. Hearing aid technology is no exception. With six...
A common complaint that we hear from our patients is their regular struggle to participate in conversations and social settings due to background noise interference. This can happen at restaurants, parks, family get-togethers, religious services, and even stores....
As a fellow in the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), it is always a pleasure to attend the largest gathering of audiologists in the country at the AAA annual convention. As a cowboy at heart, I was particularly excited that this year’s convention was held in...
Keeping your hearing aids clean will not only allow your hearing aids to stay in top operating order, but it will also lengthen their lifespan as well as help you avoid ear infections. To achieve this desirable result, some hearing aid users want to try various things...
“Is it possible to succeed with hearing aids?” This is a question we often receive at our clinic. Many of us know people that have struggled with hearing aids – maybe a parent, sibling, spouse, friend, or maybe even ourselves. Sometimes seeing the struggles of others...
Are you tired of constantly changing batteries in your hearing aids? If so, you are not alone. One of the most common complaints among our patients is the frequency of battery changes. It may seem counterintuitive, but as hearing aid technology has improved, battery...
Losing your hearing when you are only in your thirties was likely not what you expected. With research showing that hearing loss prevalence is slowing down even among the elderly, you could have reasonably expected to not lose your hearing. But if your hearing is...
Hearing solutions are dropping in cost. As of October 1, 2017, a new category of hearing technology will begin to hit our local marketplace. These hearing aids are being referred to as OTC (Over The Counter) “hearables.” You may begin to see them in pharmacies,...
After attending the most recent training event, our doctors of audiology are bringing a brand-new, highly advanced hearing aid system to you. This technology is the new benchmark in smart hearing. It connects wirelessly with cell phones, TV, and sound systems. It also...
Every day, we have the pleasure of welcoming new patients and friends into our office. It is always nice to see new faces. These new faces often come with stories of an individual history of personal hearing problems and concerns. I love hearing each story and...
There are just some sounds that make everyone cringe. Nails on a chalkboard, metal dragged on metal, children screaming, those sounds have the power to make us cringe even remembering them and make us think that skipping the audiologist would be just fine (but don’t...
When was the last time you were really tired? And not just a little sleepy but truly exhausted. Maybe you just ran the St. George Marathon, or perhaps you had been feeling the emotional exhaustion of worrying about a loved one. Whatever the cause, when you were...
Being current on new hearing aid technology is something the doctors at Hearing & Balance Doctors of Utah take seriously. With new technology from six major manufacturers constantly being introduced, this process takes time. Our doctors have a series of tests they...
Tinnitus (TIN-ih-tus) is defined by the Mayo Clinic as a ringing or a sound that only you can hear or a phantom auditory perception. While tinnitus is not a condition, but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, it sure can be quite irritating and make hearing...
Three of our doctors were recently able to attend an educational training event in New York City. At Hearing & Balance Doctors, we are committed to staying current on the latest technology and advances in our field. There are literally thousands of hearing aids on...
Dizziness and vertigo are problems that afflict many people worldwide. In fact, dizziness is one of the most common reasons for doctor visits in people over the age of 65. What causes it? There are many potential causes for dizziness, but in the over 65 population,...
At Hearing & Balance Doctors, we employ only doctors of audiology. It is one thing that makes our clinic great and sets us apart from other clinics in the region. People sometimes ask us, “What is a doctor of audiology?” A doctor of audiology is a professional...
Many of the patients we see have difficulty hearing on the telephone. Current technology has made hearing on the telephone easier than ever. Dr. Whitaker recently met with a patient who has had a hearing loss most of her life as the result of a childhood illness. Her...
One topic that was explored at this year’s Audiology NOW conference was a potential medical cure for hearing loss. Most hearing loss is a result of damage to the hair cells of the inner ear. Once these hair cells are damaged, there is no way to heal them. Currently,...
The keynote speaker at this year’s Audiology NOW convention was a man by the name of Shilo Harris. Shilo is a Texas native who joined the military after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. He was serving a tour of duty in Iraq when the Humvee he was riding in was hit by an...
Dr. Richard Luekenga, Dr. Ryan Whitaker & Dick Nourse, retired KSL Channel 5 news anchorman, took the time to educate a group of St. George locals about the relationship between how we hear and how we connect (cognitively and socially). This very important theme...
Our doctors of audiology are inviting you to try TWO uniquely different styles of open invisible hearing aids. One type of invisible technology is designed to fit deep inside the ear canal, and the other is very small and fits behind the ear with a hair thin wire that...
Hearing & Balance Doctors of Utah is Seeking Study Participants The Hearing & Balance Doctors of Utah has been chosen to bring brand-new, cutting-edge hearing aid technology, VERSO, to Southern Utah. Because this technology has just been released, we are...