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Melbourne’s leading hearing health care specialists for over 18 years with centres in 9 convenient locations.
I'm a pensioner, can I have a free hearing test?
Comprehensive hearing test for pensioners, veterans and other people eligible under the Government's Hearing Services Program.
If you are a pensioner or veteran you most likely are eligible for a fully subsidised diagnotic hearing test - read more. Please call us on 1300761 021 for information and to arrange your appointment.
Why is it important to have a diagnostic hearing test and comprehensive hearing evaluation?
Hearing is a vital part of your overall health and wellbeing. Therefore acccurate testing by an audiologist should be a priority. Treating hearing loss should also be a priority. Untreated hearing loss may lead to;
- Feelings of anxiety, social isolation, embarrassment and even depression
- Communication difficulties at work with colleagues, clients, the public. Which in turn can lead to under-employment, unemployment and losses in income
- Auditory deprivation which results in a loss of understanding of speech over time - learn more....
Untreated hearing loss is also linked to dementia. People with a mild hearing loss are twice as likely to develop dementia as those with normal hearing. Treating hearing loss with well fitted hearing aids enables more social engagement and participation. This in turn reduces the rate of cognitive decline.
Hearing loss may be treatable medically or with the use of hearing aids. If your clinician recommends hearing aids, recent studies have shown the earlier you start wearing hearing aids, the better your wellbeing and quality of life will be.
What to expect at your diagnostic hearing test appointment
A comprehensive evaluation of your hearing includes diagnostic hearing tests to determine the degree and type of hearing loss.
You will need an appointment for this test. Please call us on 1300 761 021 during business hours Monday to Friday and our friendly professional team will assist you. Or you can make an online booking enquiry.
Preparing for your diagnostic hearing test
- Before you arrive for your appointment, take a moment to note situations or environments in which you have had difficulty hearing.
- We recommend that you bring a family member or friend to your appointment to share their observations with how your hearing loss is impacting them and to note important details and instructions that we will provide.
Your comprehensive 1hr hearing test includes:
- General health and ear health information gathering. You will be asked about your hearing history to understand any medical issues that could be affecting your hearing.
- A communication and hearing needs assessment may be used to determine when and where you are experiencing difficulty hearing.
- Ear inspection of your outer ear, ear canal and eardrum will be examined using an Otoscope.
- Your hearing will be tested in a soundproof booth. You will be asked to indicate when you can hear various levels of sounds in each ear. This is called audiometry and is a measure of your hearing levels and type of hearing loss.
- We will also conduct speech audiometry which measures your ability to understand speech at various levels
- Tympanometry measures how your eardrum is moving and the middle ear status and can identify certain middle ear conditions
- Explanation of results. Your hearing healthcare professional will explain the results with you and answer your questions
- Recommendations and next steps will be discussed. If you have a hearing loss your audiologist will discuss treatment options which may range from communication strategies, hearing aids and other assistive devices to a referral to your GP or a medical specialist if warranted
- Report to your managing GP
Treating hearing loss
If you have a hearing loss, we will discuss your treatment plan options and answer all of your questions. Treatment options may range from communication strategies, hearing aids and other assistive devices to a referral to your GP or another medical specialist if warranted.
If the tests show that you could benefit from hearing aids, your clinician will review your options and together you will evaluate what styles suit your lifestyle and ear shape, what features and performance levels you require based on your hearing difficulties and which hearing aids fit your budget. Read more about treating hearing loss with hearing aids.
Our Melbourne hearing centres are located at; Fitzroy, Melbourne CBD, Sunshine, Werribee, Taylors Lakes, Bentleigh, Thomastown, Templestowe and Dandenong
Symptoms of hearing loss
There are a number of signs and symptoms of hearing loss. It is important to have a hearing test if you have any of the following signs or symptoms:
your hearing is muffled,
your ears feel blocked,
you’re frequently asking others to repeat themselves,
you turn up the volume of the TV higher than others,
you think others mumble,
you have difficulty understanding speech on the phone,
you find it difficult understanding words in conversation, particularly when in background noise such as at restaurants and family gatherings,
you have difficulty attending to a conversation,
you frequently have trouble following the conversation when in a group and the conversation quickly moves from one person to the next, e.g., in meeting or at the dinner table,
you don’t participate in activities that you have trouble hearing at and you isolate yourself
you speak too loudly or too softly,
you have been exposed to loud noise at work or leisure activities,
you experience ear infections or blocked feeling in one or both ears,
you take certain medication such as strong antibiotics or chemotherapy.
There is significant amount of scientific evidence that treating hearing loss as early as possible has many benefits. Please call us on 1300 761 021 or book and appointment online
- your hearing is muffled,
- your ears feel blocked,
- you’re frequently asking others to repeat themselves,
- you turn up the volume of the TV higher than others,
- you think others mumble,
- you have difficulty understanding speech on the phone,
- you find it difficult understanding words in conversation, particularly when in background noise such as at restaurants and family gatherings,
- you have difficulty attending to a conversation,
- you frequently have trouble following the conversation when in a group and the conversation quickly moves from one person to the next, e.g., in meeting or at the dinner table,
- you don’t participate in activities that you have trouble hearing at and you isolate yourself
- you speak too loudly or too softly,
- you have been exposed to loud noise at work or leisure activities,
- you experience ear infections or blocked feeling in one or both ears,
- you take certain medication such as strong antibiotics or chemotherapy.
There is significant amount of scientific evidence that treating hearing loss as early as possible has many benefits. Please call us on 1300 761 021 or book and appointment online.