Hearing Aids
There is a multitude of hearing solutions available from a range of manufacturer’s and in various styles, technology levels and even colours. Our team of hearing experts is here to help you navigate through the options, and help you find your ideal hearing solution.
What Are Hearing Aids?
Hearing aids do exactly as their name suggests. They are highly sophisticated sound management and amplification devices that aid people’s hearing.
Hearing aid technology is continuously evolving, improving the listening ability and sound experience for people with hearing loss.
Modern hearing aids:
- are programmed to your hearing loss – they only amplify the type of sounds you need to the level you need (hearing aids do not provide uniform amplification to all types of sound)
- amplify quiet sounds, but do not over-amplify loud sound
- make speech understandable while suppressing disruptive background noise in loud environments
- allow you to recognise where sounds are coming from
- are adjustable – all devices can be adjusted by our hearing-health practitioners to your acoustic preferences, and some devices can be adjusted by controls on the device itself, remote controls and/or through an app on your smartphone.
Hearing aid types
It is likely there will be a range of potentially workable hearing aid options available to you. However there will probably be a shortlist of devices offering the best possible outcome, based on the type and degree of your hearing loss, ear size and shape, lifestyle, budget and aesthetic preferences.
We will talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of suitable options, giving you all the relevant information required to make an informed decision. Ultimately, it is completely your choice which hearing aid brand, style and level of technology you are fitted with.
Mackay Hearing is a locally and independently owned hearing clinic – we are not tied to a manufacturer and we can fit you with any hearing aids from any manufacturer.
In saying this, we only supply devices from reputable manufacturers that are proven to consistently deliver positive outcomes. Therefore, whatever hearing aid you choose, you can be confident it will be reliable, provide excellent sound quality and be easy to manage and maintain.
Behind-the-ear hearing aids
Behind-the-ear hearing aids suit most types of hearing loss and are the most commonly fitted hearing aids. Behind-the-ear hearing aids are versatile, with components able to be changed according to changing preferences or hearing levels, without the device itself needing to be changed.
Modern behind-the-ear hearing aids are small, lightweight and visually discreet (forget the ‘big beige bananas’ of yesteryear). People with severe to profound hearing loss may require slightly larger devices able to provide more amplification, but these devices are also lightweight and comfortable to wear.
Custom in-the-ear hearing aids
Custom in-the-ear hearing aids are suitable for certain types of hearing loss and are moulded to the exact size and shape of the user’s ear canal. Custom hearing aids range in size from tiny devices that sit inside the ear canal (invisible to others) to larger devices that fill the bowl of the outer ear as well as the ear canal.
In addition to the advantage of small custom hearing aids being very discreet / invisible to others, in some cases custom hearing aids can be easier to handle for people with dexterity problems in their fingers (only a single piece to insert in the ear).
How Do Hearing Aids Work?
- A microphone inside the hearing aid picks up sound all around the hearing aid wearer
- The processing chip in the hearing aid analyses sound (for example low, mid and high pitch sounds; speech vs background noise) and a certain amount of amplification is assigned to each type of sound according to the hearing aid user’s hearing loss and other factors
- Analysed sound is sent to the amplifier and then onto the speaker
- Processed and amplified sound is delivered into the ear canal
- The body’s auditory system (outer, middle and inner ear and hearing nerve) transfers the additional sound to the brain to be processed and perceived as sound
If you would like further information or wish to make an appointment, please contact our friendly local staff directly on (07) 4952 4649, email us at listening@mackayhearing.com.au, or leave us a message on our website.