Hearing aids explained
Hearing aids
What a hearing aid actually is
A hearing aid is a small electronic device worn in or behind the ear. It picks up sound, processes it, and delivers it into the ear canal. This section explains the parts, the styles and the process — without recommending any particular device. We do not compare brands or models here.
The parts of a hearing aid
Every hearing aid, whatever its shape, contains the same basic components:
- A microphone that picks up sound from around you
- A processor that adjusts that sound according to settings applied for your ears
- A receiver — a small speaker that delivers the processed sound into your ear canal
- A power source, either a disposable battery or a rechargeable cell
The differences between styles are mostly about where those components sit and how large they can be. More on how they work.
They are not simply volume
This is the most common misunderstanding, and it is worth addressing directly.
A hearing aid is not set to one loudness. It is adjusted according to your own audiogram, so that different pitches are handled differently — because hearing loss rarely affects all pitches equally. Someone whose high pitches are affected and whose low pitches are not needs those two ranges treated differently.
That is why hearing aids are fitted following a hearing test rather than chosen from a shelf by loudness.
The different styles
Hearing aids are grouped by where they sit. The short version: some sit behind the ear with something running into the canal, and some are made to sit inside the ear itself.
Which styles suit a given person depends on their hearing, the shape of their ears, their dexterity, and what they want. We set out each style in detail here.
The process
How hearing aids are fitted
Hearing aids are prescribed and fitted, not sold off a shelf. In broad terms the process looks like this.
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A hearing test first
Nothing can be set up without knowing what your hearing actually does across pitches, in each ear. This is also when anything blocking the ear canal is found.
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A conversation about your situations
Which situations you find hard matters as much as the chart — the phone, groups, the car, a particular person. Devices are set up around real life.
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Choosing a style
Based on your hearing, your ear shape, how easily you handle small objects, and your own preference. There is rarely only one reasonable option.
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Fitting to your prescription
The device is programmed using your audiogram, then checked and adjusted while you are wearing it.
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Follow-up
Adjustment takes time and usually takes more than one appointment. Getting used to hearing aids is its own process — we describe it separately.
Over-the-counter devices
You will see hearing devices sold directly to the public online and in shops, without a hearing test. These are a different category from hearing aids fitted following an assessment.
The New Zealand Audiological Society publishes information specifically on over-the-counter hearing aids, and it is worth reading before buying anything. We are not going to tell you what to do — but we would say that a device bought without a test has not been set up for your hearing, because nobody has measured it.
Personal sound amplifiers
Some products amplify sound without being hearing aids at all. They are not adjusted to an individual’s hearing across pitches, and they are not regulated in the same way.
If you are considering something like this, having a hearing test first at least tells you what you are dealing with — including whether something as simple as wax is involved.
Other options
Hearing aids are not the only thing that exists. Cochlear implants are considered for some people with severe or profound hearing loss where hearing aids do not adequately address it; they involve surgery and a specialist assessment pathway, and the New Zealand Audiological Society publishes an introduction to them.
There are also assistive listening devices for specific situations, such as the television or the telephone, and there are communication strategies that make a genuine difference with or without any device at all — facing the person you are talking to, reducing background noise, and asking for rephrasing rather than repetition.
So what do you actually do next?
If you have read this far you are probably not looking for more theory — you want to know what the next step is. It is the same for everyone, whatever style or feature list turns out to be relevant.
Have your hearing measured. Nothing else can be decided without it. A hearing test establishes what your hearing does across pitches in each ear, rules out causes such as wax, and is what any device would be programmed against.
You are not committing to anything by having a test, and a normal result is a perfectly good outcome.
Where to start
Not sure whether it is worth booking? Our online hearing quiz gives you an initial sense from home in a few minutes. It is a screen rather than a measurement — it depends on your own headphones and how quiet your room is — but it is a reasonable way to decide.
When you are ready for the real thing, our hearing test page explains exactly what the appointment involves, step by step.
And if cost is what is holding you back, you can check which hearing aid subsidies you may be eligible for first.
Common questions about hearing aids
Do I need a hearing test before getting hearing aids?
A hearing aid is adjusted using your audiogram — the record of what your hearing does at each pitch, in each ear. Without that measurement there is nothing to set it up against. A test also identifies causes such as wax or fluid, which change the picture entirely.
Do I need one hearing aid or two?
It depends on your hearing in each ear, and it is a clinical discussion rather than a rule. Both ears are tested separately for this reason. Your audiologist should explain the reasoning either way rather than simply telling you a number.
How much do hearing aids cost in New Zealand?
Several funding pathways exist — Disability Support Services schemes, ACC, Veterans’ Affairs, and public funding for children. The New Zealand Audiological Society maintains a guide to the options.
Are hearing aids covered by ACC?
ACC may help where hearing loss is due to an accident or is work-related. Whether it applies to you is decided by ACC, not by a clinic, and the New Zealand Audiological Society sets out how the funding pathways relate to one another.
How long do hearing aids last?
Devices need cleaning and periodic servicing, and settings are usually reviewed over time as hearing can change.
Will I get used to wearing them?
Adjusting takes time and is its own process rather than something that happens on day one — we describe what people commonly experience on our page about adjusting to hearing aids.
If you want your own hearing checked
Book a hearing appointment
This page is general information. A hearing test measures your own hearing and is the only way to know where yours sits.
Sources
- NZAS — Hearing aids
- NZAS — Hearing aid funding
- Disability Support Services — Guide to the hearing aid subsidy
- Disability Support Services — Guide to the Hearing Aid Funding Scheme
- Veterans' Affairs New Zealand — Hearing aids and appliances
- National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing — Hearing Aid Fund
- Health New Zealand — Hearing loss in adults
- NZAS — Over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids
- NZAS — Cochlear implants
This page is general information, not a diagnosis or individual advice.
Hearing with Heart
Audiology & Ear Hygiene
Unit 34, The Acres,
Halswell, Christchurch 8025,
New Zealand