FAQ

What is an audiologist?

When you’re having your hearing assessed, you should make sure you are seeing a qualified Audiologist. An Audiologist is a hearing specialist, university trained over 5 years of study and another year post graduate internship to earn their Certificate of Clinical Practice (CCP) under the Audiological Society of Australia (ASA). To maintain accreditation under the ASA, Audiologists undertake Continual Professional Development. Some hearing clinics employ audiometrists or hearing aid dispensers, who may have sound skills but their training and accreditation is nowhere near the level of an Audiologist.

What do I do if I don’t live in the Perth metro area?

If it is not easy for you to come into the clinic or you live in a remote area or country town, ask us about hearing aids that can be adjusted over the phone. Alternatively, a remote control may be helpful, or a hearing aid that automatically adjusts to increase in volume over a set period of time to allow you to acclimatise to new sound levels gradually.

Can I have my child’s hearing tested?

We offer hearing tests for children from 4 years old and Central Auditory Processing (CAP) testing from 6 years old, and our experienced staff can provide information and assistance for further cognitive brain retraining under Sonic Learning in North Perth. Contact us for more information or to book your child for a hearing test or a CAP assessment with us.

How can I protect my hearing around loud music like concerts or when I play in a band?

Loud music can damage your hearing. The greater the length of exposure and intensity of music or noise, the greater the potential effects on your hearing. Fortunately there is a solution that allows you protect your hearing while still enjoying loud music environments. Contact us for custom-made musician’s earplugs and other types of hearing protection.

Can hearing loss affect cognition?

Many of us struggle as we get older to remember all sorts of things that would have been easily accessed from our brain when we were younger. Memory, word finding, effective listening and participation in conversation can all become a struggle. Much of this loss in cognitive function can be due to a decline in our hearing, with recent research showing that hearing loss and cognitive decline are pathologically linked.

Is my hearing ‘bad enough’ to require hearing aids?

It is important to be mindful that not all hearing losses require a hearing aid and not all hearing losses are helped to the same extent by hearing aids. Adults can often ‘get by’ for some time with a hearing loss where the loss may affect some but not all frequencies. With high frequency hearing loss that comes from ageing, genetics or noise exposure for example, we tend to miss the consonant sounds in speech. These may sometimes be filled-in by the brain (with extra effort, increasing with the level of hearing loss), or we read them by watching lip movements and by lip-reading. This becomes more difficult when:

This becomes more difficult when:

• The other person isn’t facing you
• The other person hasn’t gained your attention before speaking
• The other person is further away
• There is a group of people
• There are noises and distractions around you
• The room is reverberant

The best way for you to find out if your hearing needs help is to come in and see us for a hearing test.

What treatments and solutions are available for hearing loss?

Some hearing losses are medically/surgically treatable and we can advise if you need further diagnostic testing, consultation with your GP or further intervention by an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist or other professional. Most of the time, however, we are able to suggest some lifestyle changes or we can prescribe hearing aids that will make a big difference in your hearing.

How can I get the most out of my hearing aids?

The first step to getting the most out of your hearing aids is to see an experienced Audiologist using the latest equipment to assess your hearing and prescribe the appropriate hearing aids for you. Programming those hearing aids is equally important and we are experts in the latest digital hearing aid technology so we can fine tune your hearing aids exactly the way you need them to be. After that, regular use of the hearing aids is crucial to acclimatise to the new sound, whether you are a new hearing aids user, or even if you are changing your hearing aids. Your attitude towards the hearing aids is also quite important to the success of a hearing aid fitting. It can take a few weeks for you to grow accustomed to a new hearing aid and it is important to have a positive attitude, some patience and to work with us to obtain a great outcome.

Do I need hearing aids for both ears?

Research has shown that if you have a hearing loss in both ears your hearing will benefit much more by wearing an aid in each ear, rather than in just one. ‘Binaural hearing’ means hearing with both ears. When our brain develops, the two sides of our brain develop to integrate or separate information coming from each ear. This allows us to create a 3D map of our environment to know where sounds are coming from. We are also able to separate speech from noise, and to hear the person we want to talk to above other people around us. So, you’re hearing will be greatly improved by having an aid in each ear, rather than in just one. However, for those people with a hearing loss in only one ear, there can be a substantial benefit from just one hearing aid.

Why do hearing aids whistle?

This is called ‘feedback’ and it can be very annoying. Feedback is the oscillation of a sound that has leaked out of the ear, picked-up by the microphone and re-amplified through the aid. Wax, the anatomy of the ear canal, the fit and seal of the hearing aid, level of amplification and style of the device all influence feedback. In addition to the appropriate fitting of hearing aids, thanks to new technology including faster processing in hearing aids, most manufacturers these days have some form of feedback cancellation system whereby the feedback signal is detected and ‘cancelled-out’. This increases the ability for us to keep your ear canal open for greater comfort, reduce the visibility of the aid and increase the power hearing aids can provide without whistling.

What budget do I need to have for hearing aids?

Our hearing aids range from $1,300 to $5000 per hearing aid. For more information on hearing aid costs, read the article ‘The Real Cost of Hearing Aids’ in Hearing HQ online magazine.

How long will my hearing aids last?

Hearing aid manufacturers usually provide a one to three year warranty. All hearing aids we fit have a three year warranty and are new technology in all price ranges. Under the government scheme for pensioners, there is a non-compulsory minimal batteries and maintenance fee to pay for any batteries or repairs you may need. A lot of factors influence the lifespan of hearing aids including moisture damage and corrosion from general usage. With good maintenance, however, we usually find hearing aids last around four to six years. Within the warranty period, servicing or repairing the hearing aids is free. In recent times, more research and development has gone into improving the robustness of hearing aids and we will help you understand how to maintain your hearing aids, choosing the right hearing aid for your lifestyle. We want to keep the hearing aids in your ears as much as possible, so we are available to do minor repairs on hearing aids in our clinics, or we will send them to the manufacturers to service them if required, and return to you with a quote if they are out of warranty. There are many reasons people may choose to get new hearing aids rather than just if the hearing aids are dead or unable to be repaired, so if you are wondering if new hearing aids may help you, we will answer any questions you may have.

Can I get a rebate from my private health insurance?

Hearing aids cost between $1,300 per ear for affordability, up to around $5,000 per ear for the latest top-of-the-line technology. Private health funds will often cover between $500-1,500 off the cost of a pair of hearing aids and the period to claim may varies from every three to five years, or as otherwise specified. The rebate depends on your health fund, level of cover and any extras you may have chosen. For information on your entitlements, contact your health fund.

Depending upon Federal Government legislation, you may also be able to claim some of your out-of-pocket ‘medical device’ expenses on your tax return. For more information, check out the ATO website. If you are on a Pension, you may be eligible for funding under the Australian Government’s Health Services programme.

What if I lose my hearing aids?

The very latest hearing aids have ‘find my hearing aid’ technology made for iPhones, so if you’ve left your hearing aid(s) somewhere, your phone can tell you where they are. It does happen from time to time and so we recommend you consider insuring your hearing aids to cover them for loss or damage. We have heard some pretty unbelievable stories including dogs with a taste for alternative treats. Therefore, we suggest you insure your hearing aids on your home and contents policy as a portable specified item, or ask your insurer for more information on your cover for valuables lost or damaged inside or outside the home.

Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a condition whereby a person hears constant ringing sounds when no actual noise is present. It can be caused by a variety of factors including wax build-up, foreign objects in the ear, ear infections, and noise induced hearing loss, among others. Tinnitus is surprisingly common, with around 18% of Australians afflicted.

Tinnitus is treatable. Come into Brad Hutchinson Hearing and we will assess your tinnitus and check for possible causes. When required, we use TRT (Tinnitus Retraining Therapy), noise generators, hearing aids, or a combination of solutions.

Need to know more?

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