Possible signs of hearing loss in childhood :

• The child frequently misunderstands what is being said
• Has language problems (sentence structure, vocabulary or word formation)
• Has below average performance in one or more academic areas
• Confuses with sounds that are alike
• People have to raise their voice consistently to get the child's attention
• Has a history of ear infections
• Often gets earaches or runny ears

Warning signs of hearing loss in Adulthood :

• Difficulty hearing conversations, especially in presence of background noise
• Frequently asking others to repeat what they have said
• Misunderstanding what other people say and answering inappropriately
• Difficulty hearing on telephone
• Requiring the television or radio volume to be louder than others in the room prefer
• Withdrawing from conversations and social situations because it is too difficult to hear
• Reading lips in order to follow what people are saying

Tests Available In Audiology And Speech Therapt Department

Audiology

• Pure tone Audiometry - For detection of hearing loss (Type, degree and configuration)
  Age group : - 4 years and above
• Immittance Audiometry - For checking middle ear pathology and other disorders
  Age group : - Newborn to elderly population
• OAE (Otoacoustic emissions) - To check the function of cochlear outer hair cells
  Age group : - Newborn to elderly population
• ABR/ASSR
  • for neontal screening of hearing function
  • ABR is also used for differentiating between Cochlear and Retrocochlear pathology
• BOA (Behavioral observation Audiometry) - A test used for checking hearing function in neonates
• VRA (Visual Reinforcement Audiometry) - For checking hearing sensitivity
  Age group : -6 months to 4 years
• Special tests (Tone decay, SISI and ABLB) - For differentiating between cochlear and retrocochlear pathology and also recruitment in ears
  Age group : - Adults

Speech

Patients who have difficulty with respect to speech, language and communication are being intervened and given therapy.

It includes the following : 

• Swallowing disorder  
• Aphasia
• Dysarthria
• Apraxia os speech
• Voice disorders (including hoarseness, palsy, paresis, laryngectomy etc), Stuttering, delayed speech and language (in cases like Cerebral Palsy, Hearing impairment, delayed milestones etc))
• Articulation disorder

Ear Care Tips

• Wipe the outer ear with a towel or tissue. Do not use Q-tips or sharp pointed objects to clean your ears. These objects may injure the ear canal and eardrum
• Wear earplugs or other hearing protective devices when working in noisy situations (Special earplugs and earmuffs are available at hardware stores and sporting good stores)

When flying in an airplane, swallow and yawn frequently when the plane is ascending or descending to equalize pressure in ears during air travel.