Marina Opacak, an audiologist who works with Cris Ivanidis, owner of Active Audiology, says hearing loss is a difficult condition to treat as many sufferers are not ready to take action, or feel confused about what to do.
“Cris and I understand how difficult it can be. We’ve counselled hundreds of people through a range of emotions associated with accepting hearing loss and doing something about it.
“Finding the right hearing aid is only half the solution. The other half is finding the right professional, one who puts people at ease, as well as being technically competent with fine-tuning the aid. If tuning isn’t done correctly, a hearing aid can feel uncomfortable or, even worse, be completely useless.”
Marina helps many people who have been fitted at another clinic with supposedly “the best” hearing aids, only for them to leave the aid in their bedside drawer.
“Makers of hearing aids will promise the latest and greatest technology, but we often see one ‘state-of-the-art’ technology works beautifully for one person and not the other. Or that same aid was simply adjusted incorrectly to the client’s hearing profile.
“After a 60-minute appointment, I’m able to re-tune the settings and make the aid feel comfortable and functional. Finding the right audiologist is as important as finding the right aid,” Marina says.
How is Active Audiology different to the “big” clinics?
Active Audiology is an independent clinic, which these days is become rarer and rarer – just one in five clinics in Victoria is now independent. This means Cris and Marina are not tied to prescribing particular brands of hearing aids – which is what happens with corporate clinics. They use their own expertise and research to select the correct brand for their clients – and can choose from every brand on the market.
Free hearing aid trial
Active Audiology is offering a free, no-obligation 14-day trial of the hearing aids featured on this page. These are the latest technology from four international hearing aid brands. Take them home for two weeks and experience them in your daily social environment.
