Q.  What is an Audiologist?
A.  An audiologist is a specialist who evaluates and treats Hearing Loss, Tinnitus, Balance, and related non-medical disorders. They recommend and provide appropriate treatment including Hearing Aids, Audiologic Rehabilitation, and Hearing Assistive Technology. An Audiologist has either a Masters or Doctorate degree from an accredited university.

Q.  How do I know if I am suffering from hearing loss?
A.  There are many signs that indicate you have a hearing loss.  Some of those signs may be:
            -having friends and family tell you that you have a hearing problem
            -having difficulty following conversations in crowds and in social settings
            -being told you have the television or radio volume too loud
            -you have difficulty hearing on the telephone; you think everyone mumbles or speaks softly

If you have experienced one or more of these symptoms Dr. Birchfield can perform a simple Audiometric Test to determine if you are suffering from hearing loss.

Q.  How common is Hearing Loss?
A.  The gradual hearing loss that occurs as you age (presbycusis) is a common condition. An estimated one-quarter of Americans between the ages of 65 and 75 and around three-quarters of those older than 75 have some degree of hearing loss. Over time, the wear and tear on your ears from noise contributes to hearing loss by damaging your inner ear. Doctors believe that heredity and chronic exposure to loud noises are the main     factors that contribute to hearing loss. Other factors, such as earwax blockage, can prevent your ears from conducting sounds as well as they should.

Q.  What is an Audiogram?
A.  An Audiogram is a graphic representation of the hearing test results. It provides a picture of your hearing sensitivity for each ear at specific tones.

Q. What is Ringing in the Ears?
A.  The ringing in the ears you may hear is called Tinnitus.  Nearly 36 million Americans suffer from this discomfort. Tinnitus may come and go, or you may be aware of a continuous sound. It can vary in pitch from a low roar to a high squeal and you may hear it in one or both ears. When the ringing is constant, it can be annoying and distracting. More than seven million people are afflicted so severely that they cannot lead normal lives.

Q.  What manufacturers of hearing aids do you recommend?
A.  We work with most major manufacturers including:  Starkey, GNResound, Oticon, Siemens and Phonak.  We will recommend the most appropriate hearing aids based upon your specific hearing loss and lifestyle.

Q.   Why do you recommend using two hearing aids?
A.  Wearing two Hearing Aids or "Binaural" amplification provides sound localization, better understanding of speech in noisy environments, hearing with less volume, equal hearing from both sides (balance), and a more "natural" sound quality.

Q.  What are your hours?
A.  We are open Monday through Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  On Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.  We are closed on Saturday and Sunday.

Q.  What methods of payment do you accept?
A.  We accept all major credit cards - Master Card, Discover, Visa.  We also accept checks and cash. 

Q.  Do you participate with insurance companies?
A.  We participate with most insurance companies, including Medicare, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Aetna.