Resources
Read on for further information about Hearing Loss.
Hearing Aid Care
Here are some great tips to keep your hearing devices in the best condition:
- Keep your hearing aid in a safe place out of the reach of small children and pets.
- When not being worn remove the battery and wipe the aid and battery with a dry cloth. Use a soft brush to clean difficult to reach areas of the aid.
- Place your aid in a dri aid kit to remove any excess moisture.
- Always work over a table or benchtop when removing or inserting a battery.
- Do not drop the aid, expose to moisture or immerse in water.
- Avoid excessive heat and cold temperatures. Do not leave the hearing aid exposed in the sun, in a hot car or near a radiator or heater.
- Do not wear the aid while undergoing electrical treatment or while sitting under a hair dryer.
Quick Hearing Test
Do you struggle to hear people talking when they’re sitting right beside you? Are you forced to nod along while people talk because you can’t understand everything they’re saying?
Take our quick hearing test to see if you’re showing any of the common signs of hearing loss.
- You can hear the background noise but not the person sitting next to me.
- The TV is loud but you still can’t understand the words.
- People seem to mumble and don’t pronounce their words clearly.
- You can’t understand your wife/husband when they yell at you from the next room or talks with their back to you.
- You miss the key words so just smile and try to fill in the gaps.
- People keep telling you that you’re not listening.
- You get noises in your head like buzzing or ringing.
If you have noticed one or more of these in your daily life then it may be time to have a no obligation, comprehensive hearing assessment. Contact us to make an appointment at a clinic near you.
Workers Compensation
Are you suffering from hearing loss after a long career in a noisy environment? Take action against industrial hearing loss today – you could be entitled to compensation.
Hearing loss is an extremely common workplace-related injury across Australia. From transport and construction to mining and manufacturing, employers throughout the country have a responsibility to monitor the hearing of their employees every year.
If you’ve started to notice difficulty hearing the TV or having simple conversations with family members at home, you should arrange a hearing assessment as soon as possible. While your hearing problems may seem infrequent at first, problems that have been triggered now can eventually present themselves in later life.
We regularly see retired workers who are finally experiencing frustrating and embarrassing hearing problems due to work they did years ago. So if you’ve noticed any issues with your hearing, act now and arrange an assessment today by calling 1300 731 710.
Compensation and expenses covered
If you’re suffering from hearing loss due to noise in the workplace, you may be entitled to compensation. Your hearing loss must exceed a 5% Whole Person Impairment (WPI) or minimum 8.8% binaural loss to be considered for compensation.
The compensation offered by the scheme covers all your medical expenses, including the purchase of any hearing aids and rehabilitation treatment. Eligible workers are entitled to the most modern and discrete hearing loss devices, ensuring that your quality of life will be improved.
It’s possible to make a claim when you’re well into retirement, however, we always recommend acting as early as possible to make the most of your claim.
Book an assessment and see if you’re eligible
If you think you may be suffering from hearing loss, it’s definitely worth booking in for an assessment. At the very least, you’ll give yourself the peace of mind to know your hearing is healthy. And if you are suffering from hearing loss, you’ll be glad that you acted fast and sought early treatment from our caring professionals.
Resources for family and friends
At Hearing Matters, we understand it can be upsetting to watch someone close to you suffer from hearing loss. After years of freely talking and enjoying life, it can put a lot of strain on a relationship to suddenly have to repeat everything you say several times over.
We believe it’s important to support anyone suffering from hearing loss by giving them as much opportunity as possible to understand what’s being said.
Take a look at our tips below to see how you can help to support your friend or loved one.You can hear the background noise but not the person sitting next to me.
- Always get their attention before speaking – don’t talk to them from another room.
- Reduce background noise – turn off the TV, radio and even any taps or running water while speaking.
- Speak clearly – don’t hide your mouth or chew gum. Speak at a reasonable speed and face them.
- Speak one at a time – include people with hearing loss in the conversation and make sure people don’t talk over each other.
- Speak a little louder but don’t shout.
- Rephrase a statement if it is not understood.
- Ask questions to see that they do understand, particularly when giving instructions or directions.
- Have good lighting in the area – don’t have a window or light behind you.
- Be patient and understanding.
Resources for doctors
At Hearing Matters, we are committed to helping people throughout Adelaide and South Australia to overcome their hearing loss. While many people come to us directly, we’re also more than happy to have patients referred to us for further treatment.
As one of the only remaining independent hearing aid companies in the region, you can be sure that your patients are going to get hearing loss products that are completely tailored to their needs. We don’t take commission, and we don’t have any sales targets, so our only priority is finding the perfect product for each person’s needs.
If you’re a GP or ENT looking for an experienced team of caring and compassionate audiologists in South Australia, look no further than Hearing Matters. With 18 state-of-the-art clinics across the state, we’re sure to have a practice in a convenient location for your patient.
Reading Audiograms
Have you recently had a hearing assessment in South Australia? Or maybe you’re planning on getting your ears tested in the coming weeks and want to fully understand your hearing test results? Keep reading to find out all about audiograms and how to read them.
What is an audiogram?
An audiogram is a graph that indicates the softest sound you can hear for a particular range – otherwise known as your hearing threshold. It reveals the type of hearing loss you are suffering from, as well as the severity (mild, moderate, severe or profound).
There are three types of hearing loss. They are:
- Conductive – disorder of the outer or middle ear. These may be temporary and can be eliminated with treatment.
- Sensorineural – disorder of the inner ear or neural pathway. These are permanent and often related to age or noise.
- Mixed – a combination of conductive and sensorineural.
As a guide, ‘X’ denotes the left ear, ‘O’ denotes right ear and/or denotes the results of bone conduction testing. Bone conduction is used to identify the type of hearing loss you are suffering from. It bypasses the middle and outer ear so a conductive loss can be identified where bone results are better than air conduction results
Some factors may indicate that you need to be referred to a GP or ENT, including:
- Asymmetrical hearing loss
- Unilateral tinnitus
- Vertigo
- Conductive hearing loss