Department of Audiology, Speech & Swallowing

Department of Audiology

Doctors
Audiological services

Department of Audiology

Hearing loss is one of the world's most common health issues. From the moment we wake up to the time we go to sleep, sound plays an important role in our lives. It connects us to the world. Our hearing is worth preserving, protecting and restoring. Good hearing improves the quality of life. Our department has specialized acoustically designed sound treated room equipped with high quality instruments for the identification, diagnosis and management of hearing disorders.

Doctors

Ms Divyasree T

Consultant

Audiological services

Pure tone audiometry is a test used to identify hearing capacity of an individual, helping doctors to determine the severity and type of a hearing loss and enabling them for the right diagnosis and management.

Speech audiometry is a tool in determining hearing-loss assessment. This is done with pure-tone audiometry, helping doctors to determine the severity and type of a hearing loss. Speech audiometry helps in understanding the discomfort or tolerance to speech stimuli and helps the patient with word recognition abilities.

Tympanometry helps to diagnose hearing loss in children. The tympanometry test measures the movement of your tympanic membrane in response to changes in pressure. It helps doctors to identify fluid in your middle ear, ear infection, tear in the tympanic membrane, or a problem with the eustachian tube. The results of tympanometry are recorded on a graph called a tympanogram.

Audio-reflexometry is a method of measuring the levels of hearing through the observation of involuntary reponses to sounds. Pupilar responses, eye blinks, rolling of eyes, eyes opening wide, turning of head, Moro reflex and startle reflex the most common indicators of auditory responses. The importance of reflexes in measuring hearing levels has been recognized by pediatricians, audiologists, and otologists.

The OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions) tests is mostly done on infants and children who may not be able to respond to behavioral hearing tests. It helps to check part of the inner ear's response to sound.

New born hearing and screening are used to examine hearing in babies. They are of two types which is Otoacoustic Emissions Test (OAEs) and Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR). Mostly new born babies are screened for Otoacoustic Emissions Test (OAEs). Babies who dont pass OAE test are subjected to Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR). Auditory Brainstem Response Test (ABR) is recommended to new born infants who spend more than five days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

The BERA (Brainstem Auditory Evoked Responses) test is performed to check for hearing loss in children suffering from meningitis. This investigation can be used as a screening test for deafness in high risk infants.

Major advantage of this procedure is its ability to test even infants in whom conventional audiometry may not be useful. This investigation can be used as a screening test for deafness in high risk infants.

Hearing Aid Trial and Fitting

Hearing Aids

We have wide range of digital programmable, comfortable technological hearing aids from the leading manufactures around the world that suits all types of hearing loss and budgets. All hearing aids contain the same parts to carry sound from the environment into your ear. However, hearing aids do come in a number of styles, which differ in size and the way they are placed in your ear. Some are small enough to fit inside the ear canal, making them almost invisible. Others fit partially in the ear canal, and some behind the ear.

Speech Diagnostics and Therapy

There are many reasons why a child has a delay in speech. We do not advocate the 'wait and watch' policy but advice a speech and language assessment. Early identification is important for the success of therapy. A speech and language assessment involves not only assessment of the child's speaking skills, it also involves assessing other important aspects like understanding, play skills, social skills and other development etc. During an assessment, a parental interview and direct testing of the child's speech and language are done. The reasons for the delay are arrived at and the next step is to decide whether therapy is required or not. This serves as the starting point for therapy.

Delayed Speech and language associated with/without:

Hearing loss
Cerebral palsy
Mental Retardation
Cleft lip / Palate
Autism
Stuttering / Stammering
ADHD
Cluttering
Misarticulation
Aphasia
Dysarthria
Voice Disorders
Syndroms

Contact us

Sunrise Hospital, Cochin (www.sunrisehospitalcochin.com)

A Unit of Sunrise Institute of Medical Sciences Pvt Ltd, Kerala, India.

GST No 32AAICS4341K2ZB