Adult and pediatric hearing evaluations
Our facility uses four acoustically controlled environments to evaluate patients of all ages. Utilizing a variety of visual reinforcements, pediatric patients are evaluated in a sound field environment. Older children and adults are evaluated using headphones or insert earphones. Additionally, tympanometry (a painless procedure) is routinely used to evaluate the status of the middle ear. Following the “basic” test procedure further audiologic procedures may be completed.

Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) evaluation
ABR is a painless procedure that takes approximately one hour to complete. During this evaluation surface (non-invasive) electrodes are attached to various areas of the ears and head. The patient is placed in a supine position and will listen to a click stimulus that will elicit a neural response that is transmitted by the electrodes to a signal averaging computer.

Dix-Hallpike testing and Canalith Repositioning
Dix-Hallpike and canalith repositioning are procedures performed to evaluate and treat specific balance disorders. The patient is put in various positions while the audiologist records eye movement in response to those positions.  Depending on the outcome of the test a procedure called canalith repositioning is performed to alleviate the dizziness.

Otoacoustic Emissions
Otoacoustic emissions are used to evaluate the acoustic response of the inner ear. This test is performed by placing a probe tip in the ear canal which generates a series of sounds. Within the probe tip is a small microphone which registers an “echo” generated in response to the sounds.

How do we hear? Sound travels through the outer ear canal to the eardrum which causes it to vibrate. Sound is then transmitted through the middle ear via three tiny bones. The stapes, one of the bones plunges in and out of the oval window, displacing fluids in the inner ear, which then shears the hairs cells and sends a neural message to brain, telling us what we hear

Different types of hearing loss: There are three major types of hearing loss, which include sensorineural hearing loss, conductive hearing loss and mixed hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss:
Often referred to as “nerve deafness”. This type of hearing loss occurs within the inner ear or beyond. Disorders causing inner types of hearing loss include but are not limited to congenital abnormalities, birth injuries, drugs that are toxic to the auditory system, noise exposure, viruses, genetic syndromes, tumors, etc. In general, a majority of sensorineural hearing losses are permanent. Hearing loss associated with aging is referred to as ‘presbycusis’ or ‘presbyacusis’ and included in the sensorineural category.

Conductive hearing loss:
This type of hearing loss is associated with outer ear, ear canal, ear drum or middle ear problems. Disorders causing conductive hearing loss include congenital and acquired abnormalities. Causes of conductive hearing loss include but are not limited to: ear infections (otitis media), impacted ear wax, external otitis (infections in the ear canal), eardrum perforations, absence or malformations of the middle ear, ear canal or outer ear, etc. Many cases of conductive hearing loss can be successfully treated medically or surgically.

Mixed hearing loss:
A type of hearing loss involving both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss conditions.