When describing hearing loss, we generally look at three categories: type of hearing loss, degree of hearing loss, and configuration of hearing loss. With children, it is especially important to diagnose and treat a hearing loss as early as possible. This limits its potential impact on learning and development. Hearing loss can greatly affect the quality of life for adults as well. Unmanaged hearing loss can have an impact on employment, education, and general well-being.

A hearing screening is usually a preliminary step in which an individual’s hearing is checked to see if further evaluation is required.

A hearing evaluation is an in-depth assessment of an individual’s hearing by an audiologist. The purpose of this evaluation is to determine the nature and degree of the hearing loss and the best treatment options.

A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities.

If you have hearing loss in both ears, the audiologist may recommend that you use two hearing aids. Wearing two hearing aids:

• Helps in localizing the direction of sounds
• Improves listening in noisy situations
• Provides better overall hearing

The audiologist will provide you with the recommended hearing aid(s) and/or other hearing assistive devices and will instruct you in their use

Vertigo is one of the most common medical complaints. Vertigo is the feeling that you are moving when you are not. Or it might feel like things around you are moving when they are not. Vertigo can feel similar to motion sickness

Electronystagmography (ENG) is used to evaluate people with vertigo.certain other disorders that affect hearing and vision. Electrodes are used to record electrical activity. By measuring the changes in the electrical field within the eye, ENG can detect nystagmus (involuntary rapid eye movement) in response to various stimuli. If nystagmus(involuntary eye movements) does not occur on stimulation, a problem may exist within the ear, nerves that supply the ear, or certain parts of the brain. This test may also be used to distinguish between lesions in various parts of the brain and nervous system

When a person is unable to produce speech sounds correctly or fluently, or has problems with his or her voice, then he or she has a speech disorder. Difficulties pronouncing sounds, or articulation disorders, and stuttering are examples of speech disorders.

When a person has trouble understanding others (receptive language), or sharing thoughts, ideas, and feelings completely (expressive language), then he or she has a language disorder. A stroke can result in aphasia, or a language disorder.

Both children and adults can have speech and language disorders. They can occur as a result of a medical problem or have no known cause

A communication disorder is an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process, and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. A communication disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language, and/or speech and may range in severity from mild to profound. It may be developmental or acquired. A communication disorder may result in a primary disability or it may be secondary to other disabilities.

A qualified Audiologist and speech language pathologist with minimum qualification of Bachelor in audiology and speech language pathology(BASLP) who is registered under Rehabilitation Council of India(RCI).

If you answer yes to more than two of the following questions, you should have your hearing evaluated further by a certified audiologist:

• Do you have a problem hearing over the telephone?
• Do you hear better through one ear than the other when you are on the telephone?
• Do you have trouble following the conversation with two or more people talking at the same time?
• Do people complain that you turn the TV volume up too high?
• Do you have to strain to understand conversation?
• Do you have trouble hearing in a noisy background?
• Do you have trouble hearing in restaurants?
• Do you have dizziness, pain, or ringing in your ears?
• Do you find yourself asking people to repeat themselves?
• Do family members or coworkers remark about your missing what has been said?
• Do many people you talk to seem to mumble (or not speak clearly)?
• Do you misunderstand what others are saying and respond inappropriately?
• Do you have trouble understanding the speech of women and children?
• Do people get annoyed because you misunderstand what they say?

Early signs of a Hearing Loss

• Shows lack of attention to sounds (birth–1 year)
• Doesn't respond when you call his/her name (7 months–1 year)
• Doesn't follow simple directions (1–2 years)
• Shows delays in speech and language development (birth–3 years)

Ways to Help With Hearing Loss

• See an audiologist if your child did not pass the newborn hearing screening
• Go to an audiologist if you have any concerns about your child's hearing (some hearing losses can begin months or years after birth).
• Ask your audiologist about the need for hearing aids or cochlear implants

Identify the Signs

Here are some of the signs to help you determine if your child has a speech, language, or hearing disorder. It helps to know about typical speech and language development.

Signs of a Language Disorder

A language disorder may be spoken and/or written (reading and writing). It may also be receptive (understanding) and/or expressive (talking, reading, writing, or signing).

• Doesn't smile or interact with others (birth–3 months)
• Doesn't babble (4–7 months)
• Makes few sounds (7–12 months)
• Does not use gestures (e.g., waving, pointing) (7–12 months)
• Doesn't understand what others say (7 months–2 years)
• Says only a few words (12–18 months)
• Doesn't put words together to make sentences (1½–2 years)
• Says fewer than 50 words (2 years)
• Has trouble playing and talking with other children (2–3 years)
• Has problems with early reading and writing skills—for example, may not show an interest in books or drawing (2½–3 years)

Ways to Help With Language Disordersr

• Listen and respond to your child
• Talk, read, and play with your child
• Communicate with your child in the language that you are most comfortable using
• Know that it's good to teach your child to speak a second language
• Talk about what you are doing and what your child is doing
• Use a lot of different words with your child
• Use longer sentences as your child gets older
• Have your child play with other children

Signs of a Speech Sound Disorder

• Says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly in words most of the time (1–2 years)
• Says k, g, f, t, d, and n incorrectly in words most of the time (2–3 years)
• Produces speech that is unclear, even to familiar people (2–3 years)

Ways to Help With Speech Sound Disorders

• Say the sounds correctly when you talk—it's okay if your child makes some mistakes with sounds
• Don't correct speech sounds—it's more important to let your child keep talking

Signs of Stuttering (Disfluency)

• Struggles to say sounds or words (2½–3 years)
• Repeats first sounds of words—"b-b-b-ball" for "ball" (2½–3 years)
• Pauses a lot while talking (2½–3 years)
• Stretches sounds out—"f-f-f-f-farm" for "farm" (2½–3 years)

Ways to Help With Stuttering or Disfluency

• Give your child time to talk
• Do not interrupt or stop your child while he or she is speaking
• See an SLP if you are concerned (Many young children stutter for a short period of time; in most cases, the stuttering will stop.)

Signs of a Voice Disorder

• Uses a hoarse or breathy voice
• Uses a nasal-sounding voice

Ways to Help With Voice Disorders

• See a doctor if your child sounds hoarse or breathy or has a nasal-sounding voice
• Tell your child not to shout or scream
• Keep your child away from cigarette smoke

An otoacoustic emission (OAE) is a low-level sound emitted by the cochlea either spontaneously or evoked by an auditory stimulus. Specifically, OAEs provide information related to the function of the outer hair cells (OHC). The OAE test is often part of a newborn hearing screening program. This test can detect blockage in the outer ear canal, as well as the presence of middle ear fluid and damage to the outer hair cells in the cochlea.

The Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) is an objective test that can be used to estimate hearing and to identify neurological abnormalities of the auditory nerve and the auditory pathway up through the brainstem.