Audiology Clinic

Hearing loss can lead to ringing in the ears, inability to hear sounds, sensitivity to sound, and can cause a person to isolate themselves due to inability to communicate effectively. This problem can also cause social anxiety, irritability, and depression. Following are some of the most common symptoms of audiologic conditions:

• Certain sounds seem too loud
• The inability to discriminate speech or hear certain sounds
• Trouble hearing in noisy places
• Difficulty following conversations when two or more people are talking
• More difficulty hearing voices of women versus that of men
• Difficulty differentiating between high-pitched sounds
• Hearing voices as slurred or mumbled
• Sensitivity to sound
• Ringing in the ears
• Whistling, hissing or buzzing in the ears
• Whooshing, thumping or throbbing in the ears (pulsatile tinnitus)

Following are the causes of audiological conditions:

• Genetic conditions
• Malformation of the inner, middle, or outer ear
• Damage to the very small bones of the middle ear
• Scar on the eardrum from repeated infections
• Fluid remaining in the ear after an infection
• Childhood infections like mumps, meningitis, measles, and scarlet fever
• An infection passed from a mother to her baby in the womb (such as rubella, toxoplasmosis, or herpes)
• Birth defects
• A foreign object lodged in the ear canal
• Benign tumours (acoustic neuroma/ vestibular schwannoma)
• A hole in the eardrum
• Malignant tumours
• Regular exposure to loud noises (from work or recreation)
• Aging
• Trauma due to fireworks, explosions, rock concerts, gunfire, and earphones
• Perforated ear drum
• Buildup of wax in the ear canal
• Skull fractures (can damage the structures or nerves of the ear)
• Use of certain medicines
• Pressure differences between the inside and outside of the eardrum, often from scuba diving or flying

Preventing loss of hearing may not always be possible. However, following are few steps you can follow to avoid damage to hearing:

• Wear earplugs or sound-cancelling earphones when you are in a loud environment.
• Reduce your exposure to loud noises like concerts, clubs, or any enclosed area with intense noise exposure.
• Pay close attention to any alterations in your hearing pattern. If you notice any changes or issues with communication, make an appointment with an expert.

• Acoustic Neuroma
  It is a benign tumour of the eight cranial nerves. People suffering from this disease may experience imbalance, hearing loss, and facial weakness. Those who have very large tumours may also experience other neurological conditions. Many patients with the disease will eventually require brain surgery to resect the tumour while some may choose a conservative treatment and undergo periodic imaging tests.
• Atresia and Microtia
  Some kids are born with an abnormal outer ear or without an external ear canal. This poor development of the external ear canal is known as congenital atresia. It is a congenital defect that is often accompanied by anomalies of both the external ear bones and the middle ear bones.
  
  Another congenital defect is referred to as microtia, which is an aberrant growth or under-development of the outer ear. Microtia can vary from a mild anomaly to a small tag of the cartilage or skin being the only indication of the ear being there.
  
  Atresia is often accompanied with microtia. However, atresia can also develop in an isolated form and in this case, the external ear appears normal except that the ear canal lacks. Surgery may be an option in some cases while some patients may opt for a bone implantable hearing aid.
• Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease (AIED)
  This refers to a syndrome of progressive loss of dizziness and hearing loss caused by autoantibodies against the inner ear cells. Most cases are characterised by a reduction of hearing ability accompanied by tinnitus which occurs over a period of a few months. Around 50% of patients with Autoimmune Inner Ear Disease exhibit symptoms related to balance.
• Barotrauma
  Barotrauma is the injury that occurs due to failure to equalise the pressure of an air-containing area with that of the environment around it. The most common examples of barotrauma happen in scuba diving and air travel. Barotrauma symptoms include ear pain, clogging of the ear, dizziness, haemorrhage from the ear, and ringing of the ear.
• Central Auditory Processing Disorder (CAPD)
  When a person suffers from CAPD (Central Auditory Processing Disorder), the speech sounds are muddled together as the speech processing centres of the brain are not able to distinguish between different sounds. The issues are especially highlighted in situations with noise in the background. Those with this condition do not benefit from using a hearing aid.
• Cogan's Syndrome
  It is an autoimmune disease characterised by inflammation in the ear and eye of the patient due to his own immune system producing antibodies attacking the tissues of the ears and eyes. The disease onset is generally a brief episode of inflammatory eye pain. Soon after these ocular symptoms, patients form bilateral audiovestibular symptoms including vertigo (dizziness), hearing loss, and tinnitus.
• Congenital Hearing Loss
  Congenital loss of hearing is the presence of deafness since birth. Hereditary factors are believed to cause around 50% of all hearing loss. It can be present since birth or develop later in life. Most genetic hearing loss defects are autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive. In autosomal recessive type of hearing loss, both parents have the recessive gene and pass it down to their offspring, this constitutes around 70% of all genetic hearing loss.
  
  An autosomal dominant hearing loss happens when an aberrant gene from one of the parents causes hearing loss, although the matching gene from another parent is not abnormal. The parent carrying the dominant gene may also suffer from loss of hearing, this constitutes for around 15% of all the cases of genetic hearing loss.
• Glomus Tumours
  Paragangliomas are also known as “glomus” tumours. These tumours are usually benign and grow slowly. However, they are highly vascular and may give rise to symptoms due to their high blood flow, mass effect in small spaces like the ear, secretion of hormones, and invasion of adjacent structures. As they grow, sound transmission in the middle ear can be blocked due to their mass effect. Symptoms may include facial nerve invasion which can lead to facial paralysis, sensorineural hearing loss, or vertigo. Treatment includes observation, radiation therapy, and surgical resection.
• Hyperacusis
  Patients who have hyperacusis have a perfectly normal hearing. They can’t hear more than anybody else but they have reduced tolerance to certain sounds and sound levels that are not generally considered as loud. For some patients, the problem starts at sound levels as low as 25 dB. Those with hyperacusis face frustration, pain, and terror because of these everyday sounds.
• Labrynthitis
  Labyrinthitis is a disorder of the ear that is characterised by inflammation of the inner ear’s semicircular canal called the labyrinth. This interrupts balance regulation of the inner ear and is believed to be caused by a bacterial or viral infection, as it usually occurs after an upper respiratory tract infection or otitis media.
• Misophonia
  Misophonia is a condition characterised by strong reactions to certain sounds. In misophonia, repeating sounds are intolerable. Those with misophonia triggered by very specific patterned sounds like coughing, chewing, sneezing, and pencil tapping. Misophonia is a neurological disorder which is characterised by misinterpretation of the auditory stimuli within the central nervous system.
• Noise Induced Hearing Loss
  Hearing loss induced by noises is a permanent impairment of hearing that results from a prolonged exposure to high noise levels. Excessive loud noise is the commonest cause of hearing loss. When the noise is too loud, the inner ear cells start getting damaged gradually and this reduces your hearing ability. There is currently no known way to restore life to the damaged hair cells. You might notice a ringing sound that could be the result of long-term noise exposure.
• Otosclerosis
  Otosclerosis is an audiological condition caused by the abnormal growth of bone in the ears, that may result in loss of hearing. In most cases, this is treated by a surgery. Otosclerosis involves all three small bones that are part of the middle ear. A portion of the bone will abnormally grow. This growth of bone will prevent the small bone stapes from vibrating in response to sound normally. In early stages, there is no effect on the sufferer. Otosclerosis can be inherited. However, isolated cases also occur. If not treated at the right time, loss of hearing worsens progressively until when total deafness occurs.
• Tinnitus
  Tinnitus refers to any abnormal noise in the ears that originates in the outer ear, inner ear, middle ear, or the brain. It is not a disorder but a symptom that can be perceived as buzzing, ringing, or humming.

At the Audiology Clinic at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Indore we offer a diverse range of audiological services including:

• Tympanometry / Immittance Audiometry / ETF
• Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA)
• Free Field Audiometry / Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA)
• Speech Audiometry
• Behavioural Observation Audiometry (BOA)
• Auditory Steady State Response (ASSR)
• BERA / DD-BERA / ABR
• Hearing Aid Trial (HAT)
• Aided Audiogram
• OAE Screening (Otoacoustic Emissions)
• Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMP)
• Electrocochleography (ECochG)
• VNG & Air Caloric
• Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT)
• Vestibular Rehabilitation
• Mapping for Cochlear Implant & Middle Ear Implant
• Cochlear Implant & Middle Ear Implant Candidacy
• Rehabilitation of Cochlear Implant

The audiology services under the Department of ENT at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Indore help with evaluation services for hearing and balance conducted by a certified audiologist. The audiology specialists are experienced in treating serious to common hearing and balance disorders using the most advanced technology. Consult the best audiologists in Indore to treat medical conditions which cause dizziness, loss of hearing, or imbalance. The team conducts an in-depth analysis before arriving to a clinical diagnosis and delivers the best possible medical treatment following international protocols. Our team also collaborates with hearing aid technicians who are highly experienced in the repair and maintenance of hearing aids.

If you are looking for the best Audiology Clinic in Indore, you are at the right place. The audiologists at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital, Indore are nationally recognized and are established leaders in the field. They work closely with specialists from various other departments, including those of internal medicine, family medicine, neurology, occupational medicine, oncology, and paediatrics, in an attempt to develop new and innovative treatments for patients with hearing or balance problems to enable them to lead a normal life. Our goal is to bring about a positive difference in the lives of people with hearing disabilities through tailored hearing healthcare services and comprehensive treatment plans.