Our Hearing Care Services

Our expert staff at Hearing Associates provides services to those from newborn to over a hundred years old. These include basic behavioral tests and sophisticated computerized otoneurological evaluations. When appropriate, the latest digital hearing aids may be utilized to help compensate for hearing loss. Hearing care services are offered at our office locations in Duluth, Grand Rapids, Cloquet, Superior, Hayward & Two Harbors.

Hearing Tests
If a hearing loss is suspected, an appointment with one of our certified Audiologists should be made for the purposes of testing and evaluation.

After the age of 50, a regular hearing test should be considered as important as one’s yearly physical checkup.

Testing is painless, comfortable and safe. Basically, it consists of answering questions about your hearing health, recognizing everyday words at different volume levels, and identifying different sounds.

Your ability to hear each tone, or frequency, produces a unique hearing pattern which is recorded on an audiogram.

The test is completed in a sound booth using earphones and bone conduction oscillator. The Audiologist then uses the audiogram to determine the type and severity of hearing loss. These tests should help determine whether a hearing loss is best treated medically or with hearing aids.

Tinnitus Evaluation and Treatment

Dr. Sara K. Downs has been treating people with tinnitus since 2001 when she trained with Dr. Pawell Jastreboff, the researcher who is credited with creating Tinnitus Retraining Therapy. She does comprehensive tinnitus evaluations to help find the source of the tinnitus and then designs a treatment plan that is customized to each patient. She is trained in Tinnitus Retraining Therapy and Neuromonics and she also gives advice about relaxation, nutrition and lifestyle changes, as well as good sleep habits. Dr. Downs is passionate about treating tinnitus and continues to explore emerging technologies as they come available. She will be attending the Tinnitus Research Initiative Conference in Dallas this summer.

Dispensing of Digital Hearing Aids

All patients undergo a comprehensive hearing exam prior to receiving hearing aids to determine the cause and extent of the loss. A detailed case history is also completed. Once a patient becomes a candidate for hearing aids based upon their hearing handicap all options are discussed with the patient including style of the hearing instrument and technology level required to meet their communication goals. The hearing aids are then programmed to match their unique hearing loss. At this point every patient undergoes comprehensive instruction on how to listen again. Emphasis is placed on how the brain must relearn to focus on specific sounds that the individual wants to pay attention to and ignore irrelevant noises. All patients are also instructed on use and care of the hearing instruments and follow-up tests are performed to assure optimal programming of the aids.

Hearing Aid Checks and Servicing

The cornerstone of our customer service is the follow-up our patients receive once fit with hearing aids. Most patients initially require 3-4 office visits to understand how to once again listen and how to take care of their new hearing aids. Subsequent hearing aid adjustments or trouble shooting is always available. In fact, most patients can be seen for hearing aid related problems the day they call. In addition, all patients receive our quarterly newsletter to keep them informed of the latest research into hearing disorders and technological improvements. Our Professional Hear Care Plan provides you with hearing aid services at no additional charge during your warranty period, including an annual hearing screening and hearing aid reprogramming if necessary. Ask your Audiologist how to enroll in our Professional Hear Care Plan.

Assistive Listening Devices (ALDs)

When a patient has a hearing loss sometimes an assistive listening device (ALD) is required in addition to or instead of a hearing aid. ALDs can be amplified telephones, TV enhancers, visual smoke and doorbell alarms and a variety of other items designed to keep the hearing impaired in touch with their environment. We have a number of these items in our office for demonstration where their benefits can be quickly observed. Because this technology is so quickly evolving we always have access to the latest information and can special order any ALD.