Hearing Aids
The Melbourne Audiology’s Team of skilled audiologists and audiometrists can advise if a hearing aid is suitable for your hearing loss. As our clinics are independent from any hearing aid manufacturer, we will give you unbiased advice on a range of hearing aid products.
Pensioners and DVA clients are entitled to free hearing services and hearing aids through the Office of Hearing Services. Melbourne Audiology Centre is an accredited provider through this scheme.
What is a Hearing Aid?
A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities. A hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and noisy situations. However, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.
A hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, which converts the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker.
Hearing Aid Styles
Hearing aids come in various styles, which differ in size and the way they're placed in your ear. With so many styles to choose from, keep in mind that your choice shouldn't be based on looks alone. The style that's right for you should be based on what helps you hear the best.
 |
Completely in the Canal (CIC) hearing aids are moulded to fit inside your ear canal and can improve mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. Though these hearing aids are the smallest and least visible of the available styles, the small style can be a disadvantage. Completely-in-the-canal aids have little space for add-ons, such as volume controls, directional microphones and telecoils. They usually are not recommended for young children or for people with severe to profound hearing loss because their reduced size limits their power and volume. |
 |
In the Canal (ITC) hearing aids fit partly in the ear canal, but not as deeply as the completely-in-the-canal aid. In-the-canal aids can accommodate mild to moderately severe hearing loss in adults. This style may contain features that won't fit on completely-in-the-canal aids, but the small size can still make the features difficult to adjust. |
 |
In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aids fit completely inside the outer ear and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. The case holding the electronic components is made of hard plastic. In-the-ear aids are more visible to others and may be more vulnerable to picking up wind noise. But sometimes the larger size makes in-the-ear aids easier to adjust and insert. The bigger batteries in these hearing aids are likely to last longer than those in the smallest aids. |
 |
Open Fit hearing aids are very small behind-the-ear-style devices. Sound travels from the instrument through a small tube or wire to a tiny dome or speaker in the ear canal. These aids leave the ear open, so they are best for mild to moderate high-frequency losses where low-frequency hearing is still normal. In addition, some people may prefer the open-fit hearing aid because their perception of their voice does not sound “plugged up”, as well as being less visible. |
 |
Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids consist of a hard plastic case worn behind the ear and connected to a plastic earmould that fits inside the outer ear. The electronic parts are held in the case behind the ear. Sound travels from the hearing aid through the earmould and into the ear. Behind-the-ear hearing aids can be the most powerful and often are the easiest type to adjust. |
As an independent provider, we offer hearing aid solutions from the following :
|
