Hearing Loss Articles

Hearing Aid Care 101: Protecting Your Devices From Wax and Moisture

Wax, skin oils, and everyday moisture reach every hearing aid, and even a thin layer of buildup can make sound weaker or less clear. A steady hearing aid cleaning routine keeps your devices working well and prevents the frustration of wax and moisture interfering with sound. At Piedmont Hearing & Balance Center in Statesville, NC,

Pressure in Your Ear but No Earwax? Clogged Ear Causes and Relief

When an ear feels stuffed and voices sound far away, it’s natural to blame earwax, and it’s confusing when wax isn’t the problem. At Piedmont Hearing & Balance Center in Statesville, NC, David Richardson, Au.D., CCC-A, F-AAA, and Mary Dobbins Jones, Au.D., evaluate both hearing and balance, so they can look at the full picture

A close-up of a person with a beard opening their mouth during a dental examination. A gloved hand holds their jaw while another hand holds a dental mirror near their teeth.

Tonsil Stones Explained: Primary Causes and Safe Removal Methods

Tonsil stones are calcified, compact formations that can trigger frustrating, long-standing throat complaints if left unmanaged. Our specialized medical team guides patients through safe home protocols and provides clinical treatments when tonsil stone symptoms persist. Familiarizing yourself with tonsil stone etiology and symptom management determines whether you require professional removal or advanced treatment. The Biological

An older man with a white beard wearing a blue button-down shirt cups his hand behind his ear to listen.

Sudden Hearing Loss in One Ear: Clinical Risks and Emergency Care

The sudden loss of auditory sensitivity in one ear is frightening and frequently leaves patients unsure of how to seek care. We provide immediate hearing assessments and coordinate urgent medical intervention when an acute auditory decline occurs. A sudden hearing loss always warrants immediate assessment by a hearing specialist to evaluate therapeutic options or personalized

A person with wavy brown hair adjusts a beige hearing aid behind their ear, wearing a black cap and a black shirt with a buttoned collar.

What Makes Hearing in Restaurants Difficult? Practical Audiology Solutions

Tracking speech in busy dining venues can feel exhausting when environmental noise drowns out your hearing. Our practice can evaluate hearing in both quiet and noisy conditions to identify what makes these environments difficult. As soon as we identify the physiological cause of your difficult hearing, we deliver personalized rehabilitation options. How Can Hearing Seem

A doctor in blue scrubs examines a young womans eyes in a medical office. The woman sits in a chair while the doctor wears a headlamp and gently lifts her eyelid.

Do I Have a Deviated Septum? Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

Your nose does more than help you breathe. It captures particulate matter, optimizes humidity, and sustains your normal sense of smell. Positioned at the core of the nasal cavity is the nasal septum, an osteocartilaginous partition dividing the nostrils. When the septum is straight, airflow is balanced. Should the partition lean off-center, establishing a deviated

A person cleaning their ear with a cotton swab, close-up view of the ear and hand.

Are Cotton Swabs Damaging Your Ears? Safe Options for Earwax Removal

Cotton swabs may seem like convenient ear-cleaning tools, but inserting one into the ear canal can make cleaning harder over time and may damage your ears. We can determine whether earwax actually needs removal and recommend a method suited to your ear health. Ear canals typically maintain themselves without assistance; nonetheless, if stubborn buildup develops,

A doctor wearing gloves and a headlamp examines a young girls ear with an otoscope in a medical office. The girl is smiling and wearing a plaid shirt.

When to Take Your Child to an ENT Specialist: Essential Signs for Parents

When should your child visit an ENT specialist? This inquiry routinely challenges parents facing their child’s recurrent ear pain, long-term sinus inflammation, or repetitive throat ailments. Although family pediatric doctors resolve common childhood illnesses, persistent issues often require the clinical focus of an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist. Clinical Signs Your Child Requires an

A healthcare professional tests a babys hearing using a small device in the babys ear. The baby lies on an exam table, looking up, while the professional smiles and gently holds the equipment.

Navigating an Infant Hearing Test Failure: Your Action Plan

For brand-new parents, learning that a child presents a hearing difficulty rapidly creates overwhelming emotional strain. Yet the positive reality is: via timely identification and therapeutic support, children with hearing deficits are able to thrive exceptionally. In fact, such infants can build early speech, interactive expression, and deep bonds across their environment, fostering an enriched

An older man in a mustard sweater sits on the edge of a bed, looking thoughtful and concerned. Houseplants and a window are visible in the background.

Investigating the Mental Health Impact: Can Auditory Decline Trigger Mental Distress?

Auditory impairment is not merely an anatomical deficit; it serves as an intimate personal trial that quietly influences how people interact with their environment. Although hearing impairment is typically defined by diminished acoustic clarity, the hidden mental and emotional fallout remains every bit as heavy as the physical symptoms. Ranging from ongoing frustration to deep

A person wrapped in a blue blanket blowing their nose into a tissue.

Why Do Your Ears Feel Clogged After a Cold? How to Find Relief

Most adults battle two to three colds annually, making this respiratory infection one of the most prevalent illnesses in the world. Notwithstanding how common they are, these viral episodes still inflict significant misery through systemic symptoms like low-grade fevers, raw sore throats, rhinorrhea, constant sneezing, and dry coughing. However, one highly disruptive symptom that is

A model of a human ear sits on a desk, with a person in a white coat and stethoscope blurred in the background, suggesting a medical setting.

The Architecture of Sound: Does Ear Shape Alter Auditory Tracking?

It is a well-documented biological fact that dogs with long, floppy ears do not capture directional sound waves as efficiently as pointed-ear breeds. It is a fascinating evolutionary trait that cats, dogs, and rodents actively adjust their ear positioning to effortlessly capture acoustic data from the front, sides, and rear. Our furry friends aren’t the