Suono Hearing - Shey Mayland, Audiologist

08/06/2026

08/03/2026

https://www.suonohearing.net/post/why-outdoor-dinners-are-so-exhausting-and-what-your-ears-are-trying-to-tell-you

August in Montana means soaking up the last long evenings on patio tables, backyard BBQs, and bustling outdoor gatherings. But for many people, these settings bring a quiet frustration: struggling to hear the conversation right across the table.If you find yourself nodding along without fully catchi...

08/01/2026

Weekend road trips, favorite playlists, and catching up over coffee—sound is a huge part of how we enjoy our downtime! 🚗☕️

But have you ever experienced the cocktail party effect?

Imagine you're at a bustling weekend gathering. The room is filled with overlapping conversations, clinking glasses, and background music. Yet, somehow, your brain has the superpower to tune all of that out and focus entirely on the person talking to you.

Here is how your amazing auditory system pulls it off:

Spatial Separation: Your brain uses the tiny fraction of a millisecond difference in when a sound hits your left ear versus your right ear to pinpoint where a voice is coming from. 🧠

Visual Cues: Watching someone's lips move gives your brain a vital assist, effectively lowering the volume of the noise around you.

Selective Attention: Once you lock onto a voice, your brain actively suppresses surrounding frequencies so you can follow the thread of the conversation.

It is a massive amount of behind-the-scenes neurological multitasking—all while you're just trying to enjoy your weekend chat!

07/29/2026

Have you ever wondered if we have a "dominant ear" just like we are right- or left-handed? 🖐️👂

You might assume the answer is yes, especially if one ear feels stronger. But here is a fascinating fact: even when an audiogram (a hearing test) shows essentially identical hearing thresholds in both ears, our brains still don't treat them equally!

Here is how it works behind the scenes:

The Brain’s Shortcut: When sound enters both ears at the exact same time, our central auditory system heavily favors the right ear for processing speech and language. This happens because sound from the right ear travels directly to the left hemisphere of the brain, which is the primary hub for language.

The "Better" Ear in Noise: Even with equal pure-tone thresholds, one ear often acts as the dominant channel when we need to focus on a conversation in a noisy room.

Attention Trumps Anatomy: While our neural wiring gives a slight edge to the right ear for speech, your brain is remarkably flexible. It dynamically shifts dominance depending on what you are listening to and where your attention is focused.

So, even if your hearing test looks like a perfect match on paper, your brain is still playing favorites behind the scenes! 🧠✨

Did you know about the brain's right-ear advantage for speech?

07/29/2026

07/23/2026

When insurance fine print feels like a punchline… we’re here to help! 📢👂

Navigating hearing health options, insurance benefits, and budget constraints shouldn't feel like settling for an old-fashioned horn or a pair of tin cans.

At Suono Hearing, clear communication and better hearing shouldn't come with hidden surprises or compromise. Whether you're trying to maximize your existing insurance coverage, explore flexible payment plans, or find modern, high-quality technology that fits your actual budget, we’ve got your back.

💡 How we help you navigate the cost:

Clear, Transparent Pricing: No pushy upsells or mystery fees.

Insurance Navigation: We help you check and maximize any benefits you may have.

Tailored Options: Recommendations based on your lifestyle and your financial comfort zone.

Don't settle for outdated "solutions." Let us help you find modern care that works for you.

📞 Call us today or visit our website to schedule your consultation!
🌐 suonohearing.net

07/20/2026

People often ask me, “What’s it like to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing?”

The truth is, it’s really hard to explain with words alone.

So instead, I put together a few simple activities that give hearing people a small glimpse into what many of us experience every day. They aren’t perfect, and they won’t replicate life as a Deaf or Hard of Hearing person. But they can help you understand a little more about the constant balancing act of listening, paying attention, processing, managing fatigue, and communicating.

Try one. Better yet, try a few.

Do them with your spouse, your kids, your coworkers, your classroom, or your healthcare team. Then ask:
• What surprised you?
• What felt the most frustrating?
• What strategies helped?
• How did it change the way you thought about communication?

Nothing will truly show you what it’s like to be Deaf or Hard of Hearing. But sometimes a small experience can open the door to a much bigger understanding.

Empathy isn’t built by simply observing. It’s built by experiencing.

💛 Save this post to try later, share it with someone who wants to better understand the Deaf and Hard of Hearing experience, and come back to tell me which activity changed your perspective the most.

07/17/2026

🎡 Fair lights, late nights, and... ringing in your ears? Let’s skip that last one! 🎸🤠

We all love the energy of the grandstand concerts, but did you know live music can easily top 100+ decibels? That’s loud enough to cause permanent hearing damage in just a few minutes.

Wearing earplugs doesn't mean you won't hear the music—it actually helps you hear it clearer by filtering out the distorting static and extra noise. Plus, you'll actually be able to hear your friends ordering funnel cakes afterward! 🌽✨

Before you head out to the fairgrounds tonight, make sure to toss a pair of earplugs in your pocket. Your ears will thank you tomorrow!

Have fun, stay safe, and rock on! 🎶👇

07/14/2026

Happy Tuesday, friends! We hope you survived the scorching weekend and managed to stay nice and cool.

Now that we are back in the week's groove, it is the perfect time for a quick mid-summer check-in. If you spent the last few days blasting the AC, lounging by the water, or catching up on your favorite podcasts, your ears have been working overtime.

Between loud lawnmowers, busy summer events, and everyday background noise, our hearing takes on a lot of extra action this time of year. If conversations are starting to sound a little muffled, or if you just realize it has been a while since your last hearing check, we are here to help you catch every single sound of summer clearly.

Give us a call or visit us at suonohearing.net to schedule a quick visit this week.