What is Audiology?

Audiology is a branch of medicine that studies hearing, balance and related disorders. Audiologists, treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage. Employing various testing strategies, e.g. hearing tests, otoacoustic emission measurements, videonystagmography, and electrophysiological tests, audiology aims to determine whether someone can hear within the normal range, and if not, which portions of hearing (high, middle, or low frequencies) are affected and to what degree.

Hearing Evaluation

Hearing evaluation involves both screening for the presence of a hearing impairment as well as detailed assessment of hearing. Hearing screening is carried out for individuals in different age groups ranging from newborn babies to the geriatric. The hearing screening is carried out using behavioural tests, objective tests or hearing check lists. Those who fail the screening test are referred for detailed evaluation.

A few behavioural tests used at our Hospital are Pure tone Audiometry and Speech Audiometry. Facilities to carry out visual reinforcement Audiometry (VRA) is also available, which makes it possible to obtain voluntary responses from children as young as six months.

Using objective tests, responses to auditory stimulus can be obtained without the voluntary response from the individual. The objective tests used include, immittance evaluation and measurement of auditory evoked potentials, using state-of-the-art techniques such as the measurement of otoacoustic emissions and Auditory Steady State Evoked Potentials.

Hearing evaluation is also carried out regularly for individuals employed in noisy situations to note their base-line hearing abilities and to monitor progress of hearing loss. After the hearing assessment, appropriate referrals or rehabilitative procedures are commended. The referrals could be for a medical/surgical line of treatment. The evaluations are carried out not only assess the hearing status but also to determined the type of device that is most appropriate for the patient. This includes devices such as hearing aids, assistive listening devices or cochlear implants.

Rehabilitation Services

Rehabilitative services are offered to the following categories of speech and language disorders:

Disorders of Childhood Language - These includes disorders in childhood such as specific language impairment (SLI), delayed speech and language (DSL) with hearing impairment , mental retardation, Cerebral palsy, autism, dyslexia, childhood aphasia, Craniofacial anomalies, etc.

Disorders of Adult Language - These include acquired language disorders in adults such as aphasia, apraxia of speech, traumatic brain lesions, etc.

Disorders of Phonology - These include disorders of articulation, due to functional or organic etiology.

Disorders of Fluency - These include disorders such as normal non-fluency, stuttering, neurogenic stuttering, disorders in prosody due to any other causes.

Disorders of Voice - These include voice disorders such as hoarse voice, high pitched voice, spastic dysphonia, functional dysphonia, etc.

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