An audiologist assesses auditory function. We are involved in preventing, treating, and rehabilitating auditory dysfunction in children and adults.

Audiologists in Canada are regulated health professionals governed by CASLPO.

In Ontario, we are authorized to assess hearing, prescribe hearing devices and FM systems, and dispense hearing aids.

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An audiologist is a professional trained in prevention, assessment and treatment of auditory dysfunction for all ages. An audiologist can determine whether you need to see a physician to manage medical conditions related to hearing. An audiologist is a regulated health professional and is authorized to prescribe and fit hearing devices for all ages. The minimum education for an audiologist is a master’s degree (minimum six years of university education).

A hearing instrument specialist is trained to assess hearing and fit hearing aids for adults with typical kinds of hearing loss. The education for a hearing instrument specialist is a college diploma (two years of college education). They are not authorized to prescribe hearing aids in Ontario.

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Hearing assessments are not covered by OHIP and are therefore paid for privately. Some insurance plans will cover audiology appointments. Our hearing assessment pricing is available here.

Certain types of hearing loss are temporary and can improve. For instance, impacted cerumen can cause a hearing loss that improves with wax removal. Excessive fluid in the middle ear may drain naturally over time or be managed by an otolaryngologist. A perforation in the eardrum can cause temporary hearing loss that may improve with healing or surgery. There are many kinds of hearing loss that are temporary.

Other kinds of hearing loss are permanent. For instance, hearing loss caused by aging ("presbycusis") is a permanent hearing loss. Hearing loss that occurs from noise exposure ("noise-induced hearing loss") may perhaps start as temporary, but becomes permanent with repeated exposure.

If you are curious about your own hearing, a hearing assessment should let you know whether your hearing loss is permanent or could be temporary.

The simple answer is, it depends. When you purchase a set of prescription hearing aids, there are several factors that affect the price:

The Hearing Device:

The cost of a hearing aid will vary from one hearing aid manufacturer to another, but also from one technology level to another.

The Service:

A prescription hearing aid needs to be selected, ordered, and then fit to prescriptive targets using real ear measurements. Patients are educated regarding appropriate use and care for hearing devices. Additional devices may be set up as well. Most hearing clinics will recommend at least one follow-up appointment after the initial fitting to ensure that the devices are meeting patient goals.

A hearing aid only continues to work well over time if it is cleaned, repaired, and re-programmed with changes in hearing. While one hearing clinic might include very comprehensive follow-ups, cleaning, and annual appointments, another may not routinely provide any follow-up care. The length of time and availability for these service appointments will vary considerably between different clinics.

Third Party Funding:

Hearing aid costs are sometimes covered by third party funding such as the Workplace Safety Insurance Board (for work-related noise-induced hearing loss), Veterans Affairs Canada, Non-Insured Health Benefits, and the Ontario Disability Support Program. OHIP does not cover the full cost of hearing aids. However, the Assistive Devices Program can cover 75% of the cost of hearing aids up to a maximum of $500 per ear.

Total Cost of Hearing Aids:

Hearing aids are very effective tools that can be used to help you hear better, but they do not work to their potential without a professional ensuring they have been programmed accurately, are fitting correctly, and are serviced appropriately over their lifespan. Our pricing is available here.

Hearing Aids:

A hearing aid is built from several components. First, it has a microphone which picks up sounds from the environment. The sound runs through a pre-amplifier and is then converted to a digital signal. At that point the hearing aid analyzes the signal and processes it.

Common processing features include:

• An environmental analyzer to determine what kind of environment you are in and adjust the hearing aid based on that situation (e.g. the hearing aid adapts to a quiet room with one person talking vs. listening to music)

• A feedback system which can detect feedback (“whistling”) that is occurring or about to occur and make adjustments to reduce or eliminate that sound

• Different kinds of noise reduction to eliminate steady noises (e.g. a vacuum) and dynamic noises (e.g. background talking in a restaurant, wind noise)

• Impulse sound reduction to reduce sudden loud sounds (e.g. a door slamming)

The level of sound from the hearing aid is calibrated to your hearing needs based on your test results by using prescriptive targets. A small probe microphone is inserted into your ear during a fitting appointment and the hearing aid output is adjusted to meet targets using real ear measurements. This ensures that you get the required amount of amplification for different levels of sound input and for different frequencies.

After the sound is processed, it is converted back to an acoustic signal that comes out of the hearing aid and goes into your ear. As your hearing changes over time, the hearing aid can be adjusted to continue to meet prescriptive targets. Additional features include volume control, program control, and Bluetooth streaming.

Amplifiers:

An amplifier is a device that uses a microphone to pick up sound from the environment. It then amplifies the level of that sound and outputs it. It is the equivalent to “turning up the volume”. It is a generic fit and is not calibrated based on your hearing thresholds.

Hearing aids usually last approximately 5 years and can be a significant financial investment. It is important to be aware of factors that may influence your success with hearing treatment. When choosing a clinic for hearing treatment, considering the clinician, convenience, length of appointments, follow-up care, and whether the clinic routinely uses real ear measurements.

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A “chain” hearing aid clinic is typically owned by a hearing aid manufacturer. That means they have a huge incentive to be focused on hearing aid sales instead of overall hearing care. When you choose to purchase through a chain, it can seem like a convenient option. However, you’re often sacrificing flexibility in device selection, an accurate hearing aid fitting to your prescription, and long-term care when you choose to purchase from a chain.

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Hearing aids do not last forever. The life expectancy of a set of hearing aids is about 5 years, but this can vary.

No, there is not a “cure” for tinnitus. However, there are excellent ways to manage your tinnitus. It is very common to experience tinnitus and your physician or audiologist can let you know if there are any medical conditions that may be causing your tinnitus. If you are feeling very anxious or depressed about your tinnitus, please reach out to a mental health professional immediately.

Sometimes it can be easy to confuse a hearing problem with a tinnitus problem. If you feel like your tinnitus is affecting your ability to communicate, you have a hearing problem that should be addressed by an audiologist.

While there may not be any way to “cure” tinnitus, there are ways to manage it so that it doesn’t have a negative impact on your life. Here are some techniques you can try to make your tinnitus less noticeable or bothersome.

Sound:

Tinnitus is usually most noticeable when you’re somewhere very quiet or boring and less noticeable when you’re busy throughout the day. You can make the most of this by enriching your sound environment. The sounds you use can include any combination of environmental noise, music, and speech.

Try this:

Soothing sound: A soothing sound can be any sound that makes you feel better when you listen to it. This could be the sound of ocean waves, rain, relaxing music, and so on. The goal of soothing sound is to help relieve the stress you feel from hearing your tinnitus.

Background sound: Background sounds are neutral, meaning that you don’t feel annoyed or soothed by them. They can help you pay less attention to your tinnitus by reducing the contrast between the tinnitus and your environment. You could try using noise from a fan, a white noise machine, or music - just don’t choose anything you find annoying!

Interesting sound: Interesting sounds can distract you from focusing on your tinnitus by keeping your attention on the interesting sound instead of the tinnitus. Interesting sounds could be listening to talk radio, audiobooks or chatting on the phone with a friend.

You can use a variety of devices for these sounds: A fan, a sound generator, your phone, a radio, TV, pillow speakers, hearing aids - or any combination!

Behaviour:

Your thoughts, behaviours, and emotions are all linked to one another. You can work with a mental health professional who practices cognitive behavioural therapy or acceptance therapy to help manage your reactions to your tinnitus. They can help you think and feel more positively about your tinnitus.

Relaxation: Stress can make tinnitus worse, while managing stress can help it improve. There are many ways to manage your stress: planning ahead for stressful events, improving your sleep, exercising regularly, eating well, and practicing relaxation techniques. Some examples of relaxation techniques are deep breathing and imagery.

Distraction: Plan pleasant activities that you enjoy doing to distract you from focusing on your tinnitus. These activities may also help you feel better overall. These activities can be anything you enjoy doing (examples include dancing, meeting with a friend, playing an instrument, gardening, and cooking).

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