Ask Annette

Five Great and Terrible Ways to Unclog Your Blocked Ears
If your ears have been feeling clogged up lately, it's possible that you have a buildup of ear wax. While your first instinct might be to try and clean it, there are a few reasons why that might not necessarily be the wisest decision: A certain amount of ear wax is a...

We Have Two Winners from Our Competition
We always try to help everyone in Nova Scotia achieve the healthiest hearing possible. We know how important hearing is to our everyday lifestyle as a primary avenue of communication. We use it for our personal lives and for our careers. Only once your hearing is...

Annette Cross Presents Founder of Starkey, Bill Austin, with a Lifetime Achievement Award
We recently celebrated the 70th International Hearing Society’s Convention in San Antonio, Texas, and it was a tremendous event from start to finish, with members from all over the world attending to learn more from each other and develop lifelong relationships. The...

Is There An Adjustment Period With New Hearing Aids?
Congratulations on getting your new hearing aids! Now that you have chosen to treat your hearing loss professionally, your whole life will be enriched. When you have your new hearing aids fitted for the first time, it can take a while to get used to hearing everything...

Over-The-Counter Hearing Aids vs. Prescription Hearing Aids – What’s The Difference?
Up till recent years, most people only ever knew about prescription hearing aids – hearing aids prescribed by a hearing professional for a mild to severe hearing loss. But there’s been a lot of talk in the last two years about the ability to buy hearing devices over...

What To Expect At A Hearing Assessment
It can be very normal for people to resist coming for a hearing assessment because most often, hearing decreases slowly over time and you don’t notice it. Rather than consider that your hearing has declined, you’re more likely to accuse others of mumbling more or not...

How To Support A Loved One With A Hearing Loss
Living with a loved one with a hearing loss can be emotionally taxing, especially if the person keeps denying they have a hearing loss or refuses to treat it. Here at Provincial Hearing, we’ve heard the many reasons for neglecting or delaying hearing care – and we...

How to Choose the Best Hearing Aid for You
There are many options available when you first start looking for hearing aids. This guide will explain the basic styles you can choose from. Depending on your level of hearing loss, there may be some that will work better than others. Partnering with an audiologist...

What Is Tinnitus And What Can I Do About It?
If you are experiencing the constant sound of ringing in your ears, and you know the noise is coming from inside your head rather than outside, you might have tinnitus. Tinnitus, pronounced tin-ny-tus or tin-ut-us, is not always a ringing noise either. It is very...

How To Clean Your Hearing Aids
There is a lot of info to take in when you are first fit with hearing aids, including learning how to clean and care for them so they last for many years. I always tell my patients, “If you take care of your hearing aids, they will take care of you.” Below, I’ve...