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Hearing Solutions You Can Trust.
Hearing begins when the outer ear, the visible portion of the ear that is on the outside of the head, channels sound waves down the auditory canal. This tube like passageway is lined with tiny hairs and small glands that produce ear wax.
The middle ear lies at the end of the auditory canal. It is composed of the ear drum and three small bones known by the layman as the hammer, the anvil and the stirrup. When sound waves hit the ear drum, it vibrates and, in turn, moves the hammer. The hammer moves the anvil, which moves the stirrup which moves the vibrations into the inner ear.
The inner ear consists of the cochlea and the nerve of hearing. It converts sound waves into nerve impulses that travel to the brain via the movement of tiny hair cells. The brain, in turn, allows us to hear…as long as the message it is receiving is not distorted due to problems in the process just described.
Click here to view a 3-D video tour of the ear. 
Click here to learn about the types and causes of hearing loss .
Click here to take a "Hearing Assessment Quiz."
Click here to learn what happens during a hearing screening appointment.
Click here to learn about digital hearing instruments.
Click here to compare the various levels of digital hearing aid technology.
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Just call me Marvin "now I can Hear" Raines. I hear such much better with my new hearing aid–and its so much easier to use than any aid I had before. I am so glad that I came to Dr. Betty and Hear Virginia–she has worked miracles for me!
- Marvin "Now I can Hear" Raines, Disputanta VA Read more
When I decided to get hearing aids, I was afraid that I would feel old and frumpy-nothing could be further from how great I now feel. I can't believe how much better I hear my husband, my family, and my life! They are so tiny that even my husband has difficulty seeing them! Dr. Lori and Hear Virginia are so helpful and definitely guided me to find the best hearing solution for me!
- Joan Novey, Richmond VA Read more
