Our office is directly across from the Catawha Valley Medical Center's walking track on Fairgrove Church Road. We are next to Hilton Plaza, just before Tate Boulevard.

I have a Masters Degree in Audiology. I have specialized in performing hearing testing and fitting hearing aids for over 13 years. The majority of those years were spent in the Hickory area. I continue learning through conferences and specialized classes. I attend 40 to 50 hours of Continuing Education Units (CEUs) hours annually. North Carolina's requirement is 10 CEUs.

You will find friendly, down to earth atmosphere. You will be greeted cordially and treated professionally. After the hearing test, your appointment will be spent discussing how to meet your listening needs.

You will be given a battery of tests. The Pure Tone test is used to find if you have a hearing loss. The Bone Conduction test shows if there is a medical problem. Next, the Speech Understanding test is to determine if hearing aids will benefit you. An Uncomfortable Loudness test is used to check your tolerance for loud sounds.

Yes. There are many considerations when deciding on hearing aids. When I Life Style Dispense, we will discuss what type of listening situations you are in. Also we will decide if there are any physical limitations that would affect your choice. We will then decide what your needs are for now and in the future and choose an appropriate hearing instrument.

I have a wide variety of hearing aid styles: Behind-The-Ear (BTE) as well as custom styles (Completely-In-The-Ear to Full Shell). The circuits are different also. Some of the circuits are very advanced and some are less complex.

Many times there is excessive ear wax in the ear canal. This needs to be removed. The fit of the hearing aid may not be correct. The instrument may no longer fit the loss. A proper fit and programmed hearing aid should not squeal after being properly placed into the ear.

Cost is dependant on two factors: 1) the size of the hearing aid, how it looks. 2) the circuit that is in the aid, how the aid works.

I take a great deal of time observing the ear and the ear canal before I make the ear impression. Adaptations can be made if needed at that point. I am able to make many modifications to the aid in the office because of my many years of working with clients. A hearing aid should NEVER be uncomfortable.

If the instrument needs repair, I can many times service it in the office. Or, it may need to be sent to the factory. During the warrantee period, there is no cost for these services.

For many of the hearing aids that are not custom products, you can walk out the door with them in about two hours. They will be fully programmed to your needs with up to 4 specific memories. For all other hearing aids, it may take a week and a half to two weeks.