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Our Audiology Program
Ears & Hearing
Hearing Care
We’re here to help you and or your loved ones hear better and get more out of life. Everything we do is focused on that goal, from the staff we hire, our knowledge and skills, our hearing tests, the brands we select and how we expertly fit your hearing aid. It’s all to help you hear better.
We offer a wide range of solutions and it is important to remember that there is no such thing as “one size fits all.” Just as each person’s hearing loss is different, so are each individual’s listening needs and preferences. What works for your neighbor, friend or family member may not be appropriate for you.
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What Happens During a Hearing Test?
When you arrive for your hearing exam, you will be greeted by our front office staff and asked to fill out several forms, including those that record your personal information, medical history and insurance verification.
When your hearing exam begins, your audiologist will review key personal information with you and will ask you a few questions to discover the specific types of environments in which you may be experiencing hearing loss and hearing problems.
Next, your audiologist may look into your ears by using an otoscope. This instrument is used to see the ear canal and the eardrum and whether or not there is earwax obstructing the canal. Sometimes the audiologist will have a video otoscope, so you can see inside your ear as well.
This testing will enable us to determine:
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Whether or not a hearing loss exists
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The possible cause of hearing loss
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The degree and type of hearing loss and whether the loss exists in one or both ears
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The best treatment options
How do your ear and brain work together to help you hear?
Hearing begins when sound waves enter your outer ear (you know, the visible portion of the ear located on the outside of the head) and are channeled down your auditory canal, a tube-like passageway lined with tiny hairs and small glands that produce earwax. At the end of your auditory canal lies the middle ear, which is composed of the eardrum and three small bones, often referred to as the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup. Which sounds like things you might find at the town forge but stick with us here. When sound waves hit your eardrum, it vibrates and, in turn, moves the bone shaped like a hammer. The hammer then moves the anvil, which moves the stirrup, transmitting the vibrations into your inner ear. The middle ear functions to amplify sound, which is why significant hearing loss can result from any disruption in any of its parts. Hair cells can be damaged by use of ototoxic drugs, disease and simply aging. And once these hair cells are gone, you can’t use Rogaine to make them come back. Hearing aids can be used to compensate.
Hearing Aids
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How Hearing Aids Work
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Hearing aids use small microphones to collect sounds. A computer chip then converts the incoming sound, analyzes it and adjusts the sound based on your hearing loss. Then you hear the audio signals through miniature speakers in your ears.
Which hearing aid is right for you? It depends on the severity of your hearing loss, the environments where you want to hear better, how active you want to be and which technology you are comfortable with.