Only four of every five people who would benefit from hearing aids are using them.  “It is my mission to bring MORE of life in the U.P. to these 4 of every 5 people.  More trickling streams, more rustling leaves, more laughter, more comprehensible conversation,” says Michigan-licensed Audiologist Michael B. O'Donnell of Escanaba Hearing Services.  “There’s a hidden advantage, you can also turn the volume down, or off to filter unwanted noise.  It’s the best of the world!”

Here are some common questions to see if you are one of the 4 out of 5 people who will benefit from our technology.

What is a hearing aid?

A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities.

A hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and noisy situations. However, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.

A hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, which converts the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.

How can hearing aids help?

Hearing aids are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss. The damage can occur as a result of disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines.

A hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain. The greater the damage to a person’s hair cells, the more severe the hearing loss, and the greater the hearing aid amplification needed to make up the difference. However, there are practical limits to the amount of amplification a hearing aid can provide. In addition, if the inner ear is too damaged, even large vibrations will not be converted into neural signals. In this situation, a hearing aid would be ineffective.

How can I find out if I need a hearing aid?

If you think you might have hearing loss and could benefit from a hearing aid, visit your physician, who may refer you to an otolaryngologist or audiologist. An otolaryngologist is a physician who specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders and will investigate the cause of the hearing loss. An audiologist is a hearing health professional who identifies and measures hearing loss and will perform a hearing test to assess the type and degree of loss

Commonly Asked Questions Part 2!

When it comes to your hearing, you deserve the best treatment available for you and your family. Here at Escanaba Hearing Services we believe that better hearing leads to a better quality of life. We also believe that customers will come and go, but friends will return time and time again.

We invite you and your family members to become part of the Escanaba Hearing Services family, where you always will receive quality services with a personal touch.

For more information please call us at 906-786-5147. We will answer any question you might have.