The Sounds of Life

Hearing: Beyond the Ears A traditional hearing test evaluates the ears . The ears are responsible for: Collecting sounds, Amplifying sounds,   Organizing sounds, and then Transmitting the amplified and organized signal to the auditory nerve While the ears do the hearing, however, the BRAIN does the LISTENING! It is once those sound signals hit the nerve that the magic really happens! The signals travel from the ear to the brainstem, the midbrain, then the auditory cortices, crossing from one side to the other multiple times and sending information up and down that chain.n (photo from www.clearliving.com) The auditory cortex lives in the temporal lobe of the brain and each side does something different. The left side is responsible for things related to language and the right for things like tone and patterns. Together they work so that we can understand. Understanding happens when we apply meaning to the sounds we have heard. We compare it to the history of all the sounds we he

5 Steps To Success With Your Hearing Aids This June, I will have been an audiologist for 10 years. I’ve worked in various settings – VA hospital, speech and hearing center, hospital, retail, and now my own private practice. I’ve cared for infants, children, working adults, and geriatrics. I’ve seen patients from all walks of life and from opposite financial ends of the spectrum. I have fit A LOT of hearing aids which makes me happy – I am a self-professed hearing aid nerd. I have fit people with their first pair of hearing aids and I have fit those who have been aided for years. My patients have success with their hearing aids – usually. I have brought success to people who have previously given up. For you, I would like to offer my tips to success. Whoever you are, whatever your loss, these steps will give you your best possible outcome.: 1) A comprehensive diagnostic examination by someone who knows what your results mean both independently and in relation to your lifestyle,