Millions of Americans suffer from some form of hearing loss, but it’s not the burden that it used to be back in the day. With modern advances in audiology research and hearing aid technology, our Decatur team can restore and recreate large parts of your hearing, making it easier to go about your daily business without the fear of mishearing others.
When you have hearing loss, hearing aids inevitably become a large part of your everyday life. Some people (especially younger patients) are self-conscious about their hearing aids, so we work closely with our patients to select clear yet discreet aids that best suit them and their personal needs.
The HearCare Audiology team is meticulous throughout the hearing aid fitting and evaluation process, making sure that your aids are tailored to the shape of your ear for a comfortable fit day-in-day-out. Our experienced audiologists carefully assess your needs, creating the perfect hearing devices to boost your confidence, no matter your age or condition.
If you find yourself asking people “what did you say?” a little too often, it’s possible that you have some issues with hearing loss. To put your mind at ease, our experienced audiologists perform extensive hearing tests in soundproof environments to accurately assess your hearing and advise you on any areas of weakness in your hearing spectrum.
Gradual hearing loss is a natural part of the aging process, but our team can let you know whether your hearing is declining more quickly than it should. For example, if you have a job in a noisy environment, you may be risking accelerated hearing loss. HearCare Audiology can advise you on the best ways to preserve your range and prevent further damage to your ears.
Over 50 million Americans struggle with some form of tinnitus – a persistent ringing in the ears. Depending on your condition, the ringing may be constant (chronic tinnitus) or it may come and go. Either way, our audiologists offer advanced tinnitus therapy treatments which aim to treat this condition and minimize its effect on our everyday lives.
There are numerous ways to combat the effects of tinnitus, such as middle ear steroids and anti-anxiety medications that reduce stress. Tinnitus can be worsened by stress, noisy environments, and certain substances, so you may be advised to make some lifestyle changes in order to reduce the effects.
If you experience hearing troubles, ear pain, itchy ears, dizziness, or mild tinnitus, it could be that you have too much wax in your ears. Although ear wax is designed to be good for our ears, modern inventions like headphones and cotton buds can leave us with excess wax, necessitating a removal.
Our audiologists perform professional ear wax removal services such as irrigation and manual wax removal, making the process as comfortable as possible for you. It’s much safer to have your earwax removed by a professional than to do it yourself and risk damaging your ears.
If your hearing aid has stopped working, started whistling, or sounds weak and muffled, you do not have to send it away and wait. HearCare Audiology handles a wide range of hearing aid repairs directly at our Decatur office.
What we service in-office
Many hearing aid problems are resolved at the appointment without the device ever leaving our hands. Common in-office repairs at our Decatur location include:
- Wax guard replacement: A blocked guard is the most common reason a hearing aid sounds faint or dead; we stock replacement guards for all major brands and swap them on the spot
- Receiver and tubing replacement: A split or degraded receiver wire or earmold tube affects sound quality and fit; we carry replacement parts for same-visit repair on most models
- Microphone port cleaning: Clogged microphone openings cause muffled or directionally distorted sound; we clear these with professional tools during routine cleaning visits
- Dome and eartip replacement: Worn or ill-fitting domes reduce both comfort and performance; we fit replacements from our in-office stock
- Moisture removal and drying: Moisture is the most common cause of intermittent failure; we dry devices professionally and inspect for corrosion
- Volume and program resets: Accidental setting changes are resolved in minutes
We service hearing aids from Oticon, Phonak, ReSound, Signia, Starkey, Unitron, and Widex as well as most other major manufacturers, even devices originally purchased elsewhere.
When a repair goes to the manufacturer
If our in-office assessment finds damage that requires factory-level service such as a cracked shell, a failed receiver component, internal circuit damage, or a warranty repair, we handle the manufacturer relay for you. That means we document the issue, package the device, coordinate with the manufacturer’s service center, and track the return. You deal with our Decatur office, not a manufacturer’s support line.
Turnaround time for manufacturer repairs typically runs one to two weeks depending on the brand. If your hearing loss is significant and you cannot go without amplification during that period, ask about our loaner devices when you bring the aids in. We maintain a supply of loaners so you are not left without hearing support while your devices are being serviced.
Routine maintenance prevents most repairs
A lot of what looks like a broken hearing aid turns out to be wax or moisture rather than a component fault. A blocked wax guard, a split tube, or a clogged microphone port can all make a device sound faint, distorted, or completely silent. Bringing your hearing aids in for a professional clean and check every three to six months rather than waiting for something to fail prevents most of the issues that otherwise require a repair visit.
Two resources if you are troubleshooting at home first: why your hearing aid whistles and whether wax guards can be cleaned.
To bring your hearing aids in for repair or a routine clean and check at our Decatur office, schedule an appointment here or call (260) 485-1231.
