Straight answers from Hearingcare in Caloundra — an independent, locally owned hearing clinic led by Linda Whittaker, Qualified Audiometrist. Detailed guides on many of these questions are published in our Resources section, with more added regularly.
As a rough guide, hearing aids in Australia cost between $1,500 and $10,000+ for a pair, depending on the technology level. Eligible pensioners and DVA card holders can access fully subsidised hearing aids at no cost (an optional annual maintenance fee applies) through the Australian Government Hearing Services Program.
Yes — eligible pensioners can receive fully subsidised hearing aids at no cost (an optional annual maintenance fee applies) through the Australian Government Hearing Services Program (HSP). The program covers a hearing assessment, a fully subsidised hearing aid range, professional fitting and follow-up support for eligible people.
Sometimes — it depends on which test, and on your eligibility. Free hearing screenings are widely available, and eligible pensioners and DVA card holders may access subsidised hearing tests through the government's Hearing Services Program.
A full adult hearing test in Australia is painless, non-invasive and usually takes 60 to 90 minutes. It starts with a conversation about your hearing history, then a look in your ears, then a series of listening checks in a sound-treated booth.
Hearing loss rarely announces itself. It creeps in so gradually that your brain adapts around it — turning the TV up a notch at a time, working harder in conversations, avoiding noisy cafés without quite deciding to.
In Australia, audiologists and audiometrists are both qualified hearing care professionals. Both test hearing.
A hearing aid is a tiny personal sound system with three jobs: capture the sound around you, reshape it to match your specific hearing loss, and deliver the result into your ear. Modern digital hearing aids do this millions of times a second — amplifying only the pitches you miss, taming background noise, and adjusting automatically as you move from a quiet kitchen to a noisy café.
An independent hearing clinic is one that is not owned by a hearing aid manufacturer or a large retail chain. That matters for one practical reason: the device recommendation you receive.
Often, yes — especially when tinnitus follows a loud event, a cold, a blocked ear or a stressful period. Temporary tinnitus commonly settles within hours to weeks once its trigger passes.
For many people whose tinnitus comes with hearing loss — which is most persistent tinnitus — yes, hearing aids may reduce how much the tinnitus intrudes. They do not cure tinnitus.
Ear wax — cerumen — is a normal, protective substance your ear canal makes on purpose. It traps dust and debris, discourages bacteria, and slowly carries dead skin cells out of the ear.
The safest ways to deal with ear wax are, in order: leave it alone (ears are self-cleaning), soften it with drops if your GP agrees, and have a professional remove it if it is blocking your ear. The unsafe ways are the popular ones — cotton buds, ear candles, hair pins and high-pressure home syringes.
Please note: Hearingcare does not provide ear wax removal. If wax turns out to be the cause, see your GP or a dedicated wax removal provider.
Hearing loss has five common causes: ageing, noise exposure, ear wax blockage, ear infections and middle-ear conditions, and certain medications. Ageing and noise are by far the biggest two — and noise-related damage is largely preventable.
Call us on (07) 5223 4444 or book a comprehensive hearing assessment at our Bulcock Street clinic.
Book an AppointmentThe information on this page is general in nature and is not a substitute for professional advice about your individual hearing health. Eligibility criteria apply to government programs such as the Hearing Services Program. Price ranges are general estimates only, GST inclusive — for an exact price, speak to Hearingcare.