Hearing & Audiology Clinic | Hearing aids | Echo Audiology

  Whether you have mild, moderate or severe hearing loss, finding a suitable type of hearing aid can hugely improve your quality of life. Thanks to breakthrough technology, today’s hearing aid models are all designed to be as discreet as possible in order to provide the most comfortable fit for the wearer without sacrificing sound quality, in addition to featuring easy-to-operate controls. Are In-the-Ear (ITE) Custom Hearing Aids Right for You? When it comes to hearing aids, there are several features and styles that are available to suit different types of hearing losses and needs. No matter which style you choose, all hearing aids depend on similar basic components to help you hear better in your daily environments. Read on to learn more about one of the most common hearing aid styles: ·          In-the-Ear (ITE) or Half-Shell (HS) or In-the-Canal (ITC):  These styles of hearing aids are custom made to your ear and sit comfortabl...

  While the average cost of a hearing aid can range from about $1000 – $4000, it can last several years and be paid for in monthly installments. What’s more, the purchase of your hearing aid typically includes the clinical services that are required to increase your chances at success with your acoustic rehabilitation. These services typically include ongoing hearing assessments, fitting and programming of the hearing aids, as well as verification, adjustments, cleaning, repairs and follow up appointments.  Bundling these services is common practice in Audiology, and is specifically designed to ensure your hearing aids are working at their full potential, and customized to fit your hearing needs and preferences. A Hearing Aid Price Comparison In Canada, hearing aids are priced according to the level of the technology, in addition to the cost of your clinical services. Good news? Features like rechargeability, Bluetooth connection or Phone streaming do not increase your cost. T...

Audiology is a health science and a rehabilitative health care profession. Audiologists study similar University Programs as other professionals we know such as Speech-Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists. However, their day to day tasks are more like those of an Optometrist. Audiologists   evaluate everything related to your ear and your hearing. They gather information, take measurements, counsel, and recommend appropriate rehabilitative treatment plans. There are a variety of solutions available to treat hearing, so the Audiologist is tasked to break that down and recommend the appropriate solutions for you. It takes about 6 years to become an Audiologist, starting with a 4-year undergrad, followed by a 2-3-year Audiology Master’s Degree, which is only offered in five Universities in Canada. Audiologists study topics such as Anatomy, Physiology, Physics, Acoustics and Perceptions of the Auditory System, Rehabilitation, Counselling and much more! Audiologists ...

At times, certain factors may lead to temporary perception of sounds in your ears. Exposure to loud sounds : Attending a loud music concert or having a night out at a bar may cause temporary tinnitus, which lasts only a day or two. When this happens, it typically causes temporary hearing loss. That said, if you listen to music at a high volume for long hours, or work in a very noisy environment, the constant exposure to loud sounds could trigger permanent hearing loss, and often chronic tinnitus as well. Medications : High doses of certain medications are known to cause acute, short-lived tinnitus that usually lasts for the duration of your drug usage. Once the patient stops taking the medication, the tinnitus almost completely vanishes. However, in cases of certain ‘ototoxic drugs’ the ringing may or may not completely stop, even after you stop using the medication. Consult with your Physician or Pharmacist if you think your tinnitus may be caused by one of your current medicat...

The root cause of hearing aid background noise stems from the fact that hearing loss is typically a gradual process. For most people, they don’t really notice their hearing declining until someone in their surroundings points it out. A lot of people think that experiencing hearing difficulties come with age, or that their difficulties are not necessarily caused by hearing loss itself, but rather caused by other people mumbling. In some cases, they are correct. But for most people, the cause of their problems really does stem from damage to their hearing. Read on to learn why hearing aid background noise can occur! When you have a gradual hearing loss, your brain slowly adjusts to hearing differently, year after year. When we fit a hearing aid on someone who has had hearing loss for years, the amount of volume they are now hearing can be a bit shocking, so they feel like they are hearing a bit of an echo, which actually comes  from natural reverberation of sound  that has...

Communication allows us to share our feelings and emotions with others, as well as be social and participate in our daily activities. Communication may seem like a basic function, but it is in fact a privilege that can sometimes be taken for granted. Here’s a useful list of hearing loss & communication tips! Losing your hearing can be difficult to adjust to. Even with  hearing aids , people with hearing loss can sometimes still struggle to hear speech clearly. This can be hard to cope with, and difficult for others to understand. At Echo Audiology, we came up with a list of communication strategies that can help you communicate more efficiently, whether you have hearing loss yourself or whether you are speaking with someone who has hearing loss: Tips for listening when you have a hearing loss… Look at the person who is speaking, so you can take advantage of visual cues In group environments, try to have only one person speak at once Don’t be afraid to ask...

The primary purpose of hearing aids is to carry sounds from the environment into your ear and make them loud enough for you to be able to actually hear them. Most hearing aids are battery-powered digital devices that include three main components: Microphone : Picks up sound and converts the sound waves into electrical signals. Amplifier : Increases the power of those signals to make them louder and sends them to a receiver/speaker. Receiver : Transmits the amplified sound into the ear canal for you to be able to hear. Technologically advanced devices available today also include a computer chip: The microphone transmits the sound to the computer chip. The programmable chip contains dozens of features (if not more) that collectively analyze and adjust the sounds around you, based on its existing volume, varying acoustic components in your forever-changing listening environments, as well as your specific hearing loss. After necessary analyses and adjustments, the chip conv...