Audiology services

Audiology services provides diagnostic and rehabilitative services to adults with hearing loss and/or tinnitus (noises in the ears or head).

Our services include:

• Comprehensive hearing assessments
  We administer several tests to assess the degree, type, and nature of your hearing loss. This includes testing your ability to hear in background noise.
  
  
• Ototoxicity Monitoring
  Certain medications can cause changes in your hearing. We will complete baseline and follow-up tests to see if your hearing is being impacted by any treatments that could potentially change your hearing.
  
  
• Otoacoustic emissions test
  An otoacoustic emission (OAE) is a very soft sound that is generated by a healthy inner ear. During OAE testing, an earphone with a built-in speaker and microphone is placed into your ear and different tones are played. The OAE responses are picked up by the microphone and sent to a computer for analysis. Testing OAE responses assesses the function of the inner hair cells in the cochlea, which can provide information about inner ear health.
  
  
• Auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing
  This test assesses the auditory pathway from the ears through the brainstem to detect hearing loss or issues with the auditory nerve. During testing, electrodes are placed on the head and loud clicks are presented to the ears through an earphone. The electrodes measure the brain’s response to sounds. Please note: we do not perform sedated ABRs or threshold ABRs.
  
  
• Wideband Tympanometry
  A rubber tip is placed in your ear canal and sounds are played to your ear. The machine records how those sound waves bounce back from the ear drum. This helps us to assess middle and inner ear issues.
  
  
• Hearing aid evaluations and prescriptions
  Your Audiologist will ask questions to determine how much your hearing problem impacts your day-to-day activities. The audiologist will use this information to help you choose the best hearing aid(s) and/or accessories. Considerations include:

1. The degree of hearing loss;
2. The style of device;
3. The level of technology and features;
4. Financial considerations;
5. The need for other assistive devices.

• Hearing aid follow ups: verification and validation
  Your Audiologist uses specialized equipment to verify your hearing aids. This allows your Audiologist to make sure your hearing aids are performing up to standards and tailor the devices to your ears. Your Audiologist does this because your hearing is at its best when your hearing aids are working their best. Changes can be made to your hearing aids if you are having difficulties in certain situations. This process is called fine-tuning. In some situations, fine-tuning can be done through an application downloaded to your phone. This allows the Audiologist to complete a hearing aid check or adjustment remotely via a smartphone app. Consult your Audiologist to see if this is appropriate for you.

Referral process

A referral is needed to access these services. After your referral is received, the Audiology Services program assistant will contact you to set up a hearing assessment. Hearing assessments and other diagnostic tests are covered by OHIP, but a fee will be charged for all other appointments.

Audiologists

All of our Audiologists are registered with the College of Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO). Audiologists are professionals who hold a university master’s or doctorate degree in audiology, and specialize in the prevention, identification and management of hearing loss and balance disorders.

To meet our Audiologists, please visit here.