The frustrations of hearing loss can drive grown men and women to tears, according to hearing instrument specialist David Bollinger.
"We have the capability to simulate a hearing loss so the spouse can hear how their spouse hears, day-in, day-out," Bollinger said. "I play Mozart, and it's like half of the orchestra goes away, because of particular frequencies they can't hear. It's not uncommon for them to cry."
Bollinger opened a branch of ClearSound Hearing last month in Fulton. ClearSound Hearing - at 2625 Fairway Drive - provides hearing evaluations, education, hearing instrument fittings and other related services. The office will be open 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. every Thursday, with Saturday appointments occasionally available.
This is Bollinger's third branch.
"I opened an office in Jefferson City six years ago and took over an existing office in Columbia about four years ago," he said. "One of the things we really try hard to do is find areas that are under-served. While we'd like to dedicate a full-time office to every place, good quality service that's dependable - even on a part-time basis - is certainly more helpful than nothing."
Originally from St. Joseph, Bollinger earned a bachelor's degree in religion at William Jewell College. He and his wife Mary, who handles the administrative side of the business, lived in Portland, Oregon, for 20 years and had two sons.
In 1999, the family moved back to the Lake of the Ozarks area. About 15 years ago, Mary got a job in the hearing industry.
"She was kind of an office administrator," Bollinger said. "She became licensed and trained to fit hearing aids as well."
Five years later, Bollinger also took a job in the industry with a sales position. Later, he had the opportunity to receive training and become certified as a hearing instrument specialist. The certification involved passing a state-administered test and completing more education.
Bollinger finds a lot of satisfaction in the job.
"It's a pretty low-pressure opportunity for folks to find out if hearing aids are worth an investment," he said. "They really need to be able to try them in their environment. We do the hearing test, some education (and) a trial of some hearing aids for one-three weeks. Then, they have the opportunity to make an informed decision."
He added if he suspects the hearing problem is caused by a more serious issue, he'll refer the patient to a specialist.
According to Bollinger, hearing aid technology has made significant advances in recent years.
"Hearing aids can give clarity back without giving that booming volume," he said.
He said many people struggle with hearing certain frequencies - particularly high-pitched sounds. While they may be able to hear lower-pitched speech, their ears might miss certain sounds like "s," "f," "th" and a few others.
"We lose clarity rather than volume," Bollinger said. "We can hear someone talking but not understand what they're saying."
After fitting someone with a hearing aid programmed to help with their particular type of hearing loss, the effect can be profound, Bollinger said.
"They're able to hear the birds in the backyard for the first time in 20 years," he added.
ClearSound will be offering free screenings and consultations Thursday and Aug. 24. Bollinger will examine peoples' ears with a video otoscope, which allows him to peer inside and look for eardrum damage, earwax buildup and other common problems.
There will be no obligation to pay for further services, he said.
"We try to give them clear, honest information with really no pressure," Bollinger said. "We're just kind of fun to deal with."
Fulton ClearSound Hearing can be reached at 855-605-6700.