Question 1

What is an audiologist?

Accepted Answer

An audiologist is a healthcare professional who is university-trained to provide a comprehensive array of services related to prevention, evaluation and rehabilitation of hearing impairment and its associated communicative disorders. An audiologist may also work with assistive listening devices should hearing aids not be a suitable solution.

Question 2

What is involved in a hearing test?

Accepted Answer

A hearing test is performed by an audiologist in our clinics. The objective is to find the softest volume level that you can hear. The test takes no more then an hour and is detailed enough to determine if hearing aids are required or not. Our audiologists will provide you with an explanation of the results and the effects it may have on your hearing.

Question 3

Are you ever too old to benefit from hearing aids?

Accepted Answer

No matter what your age, you rely on your hearing to maintain a connection with the world and communicate with those closest to you.

Question 4

Can hearing aids help all types of hearing loss?

Accepted Answer

All age-related hearing loss can be helped through amplification. A hearing test will provide you with a definite answer.

Question 5

Will hearing aids restore my hearing to normal?

Accepted Answer

Just as their name suggests, hearing aids can only aid your hearing, whatever its condition. They can’t restore hearing to normal nor retard the progression of hearing loss.

Question 6

What is Aural Rehabilitation?

Accepted Answer

Aural Rehabilitation is the technical term used for the ongoing counseling and education process required to assist hard-of-hearing people learn how to effectively use their hearing instruments. Hearing Solutions recommends aural rehab especially for new users of hearing aids to ensure they get the maximum benefit from their investment.

Question 7

What is a Hearing Instrument Specialist?

Accepted Answer

Hearing Instrument Specialists (HIS) are also known as Hearing Instrument Practitioners (HIP). Hearing Instrument Specialists in this province are registered with the Association of Hearing Instrument Practitioners of Ontario. They are qualified to perform hearing assessments and consultations, provide counselling, assist with hearing aid selection, perform hearing instrument fittings, fabricate earmoulds, perform hearing aid adjustments and repairs, among other services.

Question 8

Will my hearing aids eliminate background noise?

Accepted Answer

Hearing aids don`t eliminate all background noise. Keeping in mind that background noise is a nuisance for everyone – even for people who don`t have hearing loss – modern hearing aids are specifically designed to automatically improve speech understanding in noise.

Question 9

Are hearing tests painful?

Accepted Answer

A hearing test is a very comfortable procedure. You should feel no pain or discomfort while your hearing is being evaluated by an Audiologist or a Hearing Instrument Specialist. A hearing test is a non-invasive procedure and will include your clinician looking in you ear. Most of the assessment consists of you listening to very soft tones to gauge how well you can hear.

Question 10

Do I need a doctor’s referral to schedule a hearing test?

Accepted Answer

No, at Hearing Solutions you don`t need a physician`s referral to schedule an appointment for a hearing test. Simply visit our hearing loss clinic locations page to contact us by phone or book an appointment online.

Question 11

Why was I advised to bring a friend or family member to my appointment?

Accepted Answer

Hearing Solutions recommends, if possible, that you bring a friend or family member with you to your hearing evaluation appointment for additional support, as test results will be discussed, along with the effects of hearing loss, communication tips, and any hearing aid recommendations. If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, your Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Specialist will also conduct a demonstration of what hearing aids sound like. Having a familiar voice present allows you to make a more accurate assessment of the benefit of amplification devices. Your spouse, family member or friend may talk to you in both quiet and in simulated noise to see how well you can hear them while wearing hearing instruments.

Question 12

What are some common signs of hearing loss?

Accepted Answer

Common signs of hearing loss include… Struggling to understand what is being said in groups or whenever there is background noise Missing parts of conversations Frequently asking people to repeat themselves Feeling as though everyone is mumbling Your spouse or family members complain about how loud you listen to the radio or the television You feel anxious, irritated or exhausted from straining to hear

Question 13

What is an audiogram?

Accepted Answer

An audiogram is a graphic representation of your hearing test results. During your hearing test, you’ll be presented with sounds at different frequencies and intensities. Your clinician will plot the softest sound you can hear at each frequency on the graph. This will be used to determine whether you have a hearing loss, the degree of your hearing loss, and if necessary, your hearing aid options.

Question 14

Do I need to wear my hearing aids all the time?

Accepted Answer

Wearing your hearing aids, as prescribed by your Audiologist or Hearing Instrument Specialist ensures you’ll experience a successful adaptation process.

Question 15

What is tinnitus?

Accepted Answer

Tinnitus is often characterised by ringing, hissing, buzzing or any other sound that is not generated outside of the body and is almost never heard by others. Tinnitus is a symptom of an underlying issue, which can include any one of over 200 health disorders. In most cases, tinnitus is not caused by a serious condition or illness, but it is commonly associated with hearing loss. Tinnitus is also commonly brought on by prolonged exposure loud noise.

Question 16

Can your clinic help me with tinnitus?

Accepted Answer

Yes, at Hearing Solutions our clinicians can conduct a complete audiology assessment to determine the presence of tinnitus and advise you of your tinnitus treatment management options.

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