The Hearing Place

09/26/2026

It's that time again, please vote daily!

https://mailchi.mp/370ed8242ecc/time-to-nominate-in-best-of-the-best-5375960?e=cea04eda7b

09/16/2026

Certain types of patients can be unbelievably frustrating.

Every now and then they come in and I already know it is going to be a challenge.

They don’t trust me. And I don’t blame them.

They’ve been in this seat before. They trusted. They moved forward with hearing aids. Paid several thousand dollars. And were completely let down.

It’s years later, their family has forced them to try again because everyone is tired of repeating themselves. And they come to me.

They bring their last hearing test and their old hearing aids.

Here is where I become unbelievably frustrated and want to scream.

Not because I’m upset with the patient.

Because they trusted the wrong person.

I’m upset that there are providers who either intentionally do these patients a disservice because they only care about money. Or they just don’t know how to program a hearing aid appropriately.

Another provider who fit them inappropriately. The devices were never going to give them what they needed… I can tell just by looking at their test and the hearing aids…

That experience made the patient believe all hearing care providers are scam artists. Hearing aids “didn’t work”. And they tell everyone they know.

Now I have to explain how I’m different. How our office follows best practices. That hearing aids are only as good as the provider programming them.

They are skeptical. And they have every right to be.

It is the most frustrating thing to know how well the patient could do with the right hearing aid AND the right provider and not be able to have them experience that because they have good reason to not believe me 😞

The hearing aid is nothing without the provider who knows what they are doing.

If this situation sounds all too familiar… please get a second opinion. Find a truly reputable provider whose only goal is to help you hear and improve your communication.

There are bad apples in every profession. Don’t let one bad experience make you miss out on years of hearing your loved ones.

09/12/2026

Listening is the connection between the ear and brain 🧠🤯💜🦻🤗

Untreated hearing loss fundamentally rewires how the brain manages cognitive resources. When the auditory nerve delivers degraded or muffled signals, the brain cannot process sound passively. Instead, it undergoes profound structural and operational shifts, which cognitive scientists categorize into three major impacts

Elevated Cognitive Load: To compensate for missing data, the brain must aggressively recruit the prefrontal cortex and frontal lobes. These areas are meant for higher-level executive functions, memory retention, and decision-making. Subconsciously forcing them to help you simply "hear" leaves fewer mental resources available to comprehend or remember what was actually said, resulting in intense listening fatigue.

Cortical Reallocation & Atrophy: Because the brain operates on a "use it or lose it" neuroplastic principle, prolonged lack of auditory stimulation causes the auditory cortex to thin out or shrink. Nearby regions, such as visual processing networks, may actively recruit and colonize this understimulated brain real estate.

The Dementia Link: According to researchers at Johns Hopkins Medicine, mild hearing loss doubles your risk of dementia, while severe untreated loss increases it fivefold. This is driven by a combination of structural brain atrophy, depleted cognitive reserve, and the rapid social isolation that occurs when conversations become too exhausting to follow.

Not hearing well isn’t just frustrating; it can bring surprising health risks. Here’s what you need to know.

09/08/2026

Early intervention leads to better long term outcomes!!!
The only prescription that has no negative long term side effects 🤗

09/04/2026

Our last first Friday in Westfield!
We had so much fun spending the evening educating people on hearing health!
We can’t wait to come back next year!
Stay tuned for our next event!
Stop by before 8pm to say hi!

08/29/2026

08/25/2026

Fresh new website!
Thank you for supporting local business 🙏 💜

Board-certified hearing aids in Falconer, NY, verified with Real Ear Measurement. Free trials, in-house repairs, honest pricing. Call (716) 708-4343.

07/26/2026

One of my favorite scientists Dr. Keith Darrow continuing to educate the public on the undeniable risks of hearing loss. Hearing health is brain health!!!
Feed your brain! 🧠🦻

07/15/2026

And once this entire process is completed it's up to our brain to apply meaning to that sound!

Nice video capturing the perception of hearing 👂

Have you ever wondered how hearing actually works or how hearing ai...

07/14/2026

A little funny shared to me by one of our hearing place family members 🤗