After navigating a lifetime of hearing loss, Dr. Amanda Barbur, of Amanda’s Family Hearing, decided to help others with theirs

By Patricia Nugent

As an individual with lifelong hearing loss who wears hearing aids, Dr. Amanda Barbur has a special understanding of what her patients are experiencing throughout their journey—the frustrations, challenges and even hesitation to find help.

“Although I was diagnosed with hearing loss in elementary school, I didn’t even try devices until I was in college,” says Dr. Barbur, who was born and raised in the area.

After becoming an audiologist in 2012, she worked at the former MaryAnn’s Family Hearing until purchasing the practice and renaming it Amanda’s Family Hearing in 2020.

To keep up with the growing practice, the team welcomed Dr. Anna Soennecken in January. A practicing audiologist for more than 20 years, she enjoys asking patients what their favorite sound is.

“I think when it comes to hearing, Helen Keller said it best: ‘Blindness cuts us off from things, but deafness cuts us off from people,’” she says.

Next-Gen Bluetooth Tech
“Every patient is different, and we do a lot of counseling to pinpoint the best solutions for their unique lifestyle,” says Dr. Barbur.

The practice offers all the latest styles and brands of hearing aids, including Resound, Phonak and Starkey, most of which are Bluetooth-enabled and conveniently rechargeable.

“Hearing devices have become much more accurate and effective in providing a clearer, better quality of hearing over the years,” she says. “Areas such as background noise reduction and the ability to stream sound through your smartphone have made notable advancements for people. Devices are also much smaller than ever, barely detectable, and sit within the ear or just behind it.”

The audiologists service the gamut of hearing issues people need help with, including phones with captioning, custom earmolds made for musicians, custom swim ear plugs for adults and children, and they fit custom hearing protection.

Treating Tinnitus
In addition to addressing hearing loss, the audiologists also work with patients who suffer from tinnitus.

“These phantom sounds, such as ringing or buzzing in the ears, could result in a mild annoyance or severely disrupt someone’s life,” she says. “Possible causes are head trauma, ear wax, medications and prolonged exposure to loud sounds.”

“Tinnitus can be a sign of hearing loss, and treatment with hearing devices often helps,” says Dr. Barbur. Beyond fitting ear-worn devices for relief, we help with education and counseling for tinnitus, which is one of the best treatments. Tinnitus can also be a sign of another underlying health condition that needs treatment so anyone with symptoms should, at the very least, have a hearing test.”

Enmeshed in the Community
Whatever the hearing condition, the ladies are passionate about community outreach. They do health fairs, lunch and learn seminars and visit senior centers to spread the word, and also travel to area nursing homes to treat patients.

“We consider our relationships with patients to be lifelong,” says Dr. Barbur. “Our mission is to serve this community. Education plays a vital role in that. We have so many tools we use, printing out written instructions for visual reinforcement, and we can recommend apps to practice auditory skills.”

She notes the average person waits eight years to do anything about their hearing loss.

“This is something we’re trying to change here in Lake County,” she adds. “Human beings are by nature social creatures and the social isolation that comes with hearing loss can be devastating.”

Amanda’s Family Hearing is located at 1701 Mentor Avenue, Suite 5, in Painesville Township. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The practice was named Best of the Best for audiologists in Lake County by the News-Herald for this year. Financing options are available. Call 440-357-4327 or visit AmandasFamilyHearing.com for more