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Audiologists are health care professionals who provide patient-centered care in the prevention, identification, diagnosis, and evidence-based treatment of hearing, balance, tinnitus, and other hearing disorders for people of all ages.
Consider the questions below to determine if you should see an audiologist:
The ear is a complex organ that is divided into three different sections. It not only allows you to hear but helps with balance. At CHI Health Clinic Audiology, we help diagnose and treat hearing and balance disorders as well as other conditions affecting the ear.
Below is a list of some of the ear conditions we evaluate:
Our Audiologists perform comprehensive hearing evaluations for both pediatric and adult patients. Hearing tests are often ordered during a patient’s visit with an ENT physician, or they may be scheduled directly with an Audiologist.
When you arrive for your audiology appointment, you will be asked to describe what areas of concern you have regarding your ears and hearing. We will also review your history to help determine if there is anything in your family, medical, and personal history that could impact your hearing ability. They will discuss the types of testing used to evaluate and diagnose the problem, which may be done that day or scheduled for a later appointment. At the time of the testing, the audiologist will review your test results, as well as any recommended follow up care needed.
Hearing tests are painless and non-invasive and occur in a quiet, sound-treated room known as a hearing booth. You will be asked to wear headphones or soft earplugs with wires connected to an instrument called an audiometer that is used to conduct the test.
During this test, you will be asked to listen to tones at different pitches and volumes. The test measures the very softest sounds you can hear at each frequency tested.
The speech portion of the exam evaluates the softest speech sounds (threshold) you can hear and understand. You will then be asked to repeat back words that are presented at a level well above threshold to see how well you can understand them accurately.
If necessary, the audiologist may perform tympanometry and a test of your acoustic reflexes. For these tests, a soft plug that creates pressure changes and generates sounds will be placed in the ear. This will determine how well your eardrum is moving and will measure the reflexive responses of the middle ear muscles.
When you bring your child in for their audiology appointment, you will be asked to describe what areas of concern you have regarding the child’s hearing, speech and language or balance. We will also review your child’s medical and developmental history. They will discuss the types of testing used to evaluate and diagnose the problem, which may be done that day or scheduled for a later appointment. At the time of the testing, the audiologist will review your child’s testing results, as well as any recommended follow up care needed.
What happens if my baby doesn’t pass the hospital hearing screening? Not all babies pass the hearing screening the first time. Your baby will be screened again before leaving the hospital. If your baby does not pass the hospital hearing screenings, you will be referred to an audiologist for further evaluation. Typically, babies who fail the newborn hearing screen are evaluated in our office at two weeks gestational age.
Age appropriate testing, including Visual Reinforcement Audiometry, Condition Play Audiometry, and Computer-Based Condition Play Audiometry are all utilized at CHI Audiology to fully assess your child’s hearing ability. Otoacoustic Emission Testing and Auditory Brainstem Response Testing are also utilized when appropriate.
