Heartfelt congratulations to all the wonderful Audiologists out there who are working every day, towards understanding, improving and restoring this wonderful & complex sense that is, Hearing!

Who is an Audiologist?

‘Audiology’ essentially is the science of ‘Hearing’. Now, hearing as we know happens through our ears. But what some people may not know, is that the ear – the Inner Ear actually- also takes care of our balancing! So, an Audiologist is a healthcare professional, who studies, diagnoses and treats Hearing & Balance related conditions. Together with their close cousins, the Speech-Language Pathologists, they are also called the Communication Specialists!

How are we related to ENTs?

Unlike an ENT or Otorhinolaryngologist, who studies and treats the ear and all its associated structures as an organ, an Audiologist is mainly concerned with the function of hearing & balancing that the organ caries out. But, as anatomy & physiology (Organ & function) are intricately tied together, so are the professionals working with them.

Hearing Aids & beyond

Generally, when people hear Audiologist, their mind goes straight to Hearing Aids! And rightly so, as Audiologists are the ones who are responsible for prescribing and optimally fitting various assistive & augmentative hearing devices, including hearing aids, to persons with hearing difficulty. Typically, an Audiologist would step in the treatment process when the condition cannot be resolved with medicine or surgery, and that’s where assistive devices like Hearing Aids and Cochlear Implants come in.

But it is essential to remember, these are medical devices that require profound knowledge of the acoustics and physiology of hearing for proper utility and when handled wrongly can cause serious damage to hearing as well as general health. Also, interesting to note is that Audiologists not only work with the physical mechanism of hearing, but also with intricate training of the brain to utilize the sense of hearing for healthy functioning. This requires collaboration and aid from many other professionals like SLPs, Pediatricians, Neurologists and Psychologists, apart from ENT specialists.

For any more information on Hearing, Hearing Loss or to talk to an Audiologist, write to us at info@pratidhwani.in !

Author:

Ms Pragnya Bharadwaj (M.Aud)
HOD (Interventional Audiology), Pratidhwani