Surdologist
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
[Who is the audiologist?
The surdologist is, in fact, the same ENT doctor, but who knows more about ear diseases than about other organs of the nasopharynx. The surdologist diagnoses and treats congenital and traumatic lesions of the middle ear. The Surgeon-Surgeon today is able to perform miracles, make unique surgical interventions, which in many cases completely restore the hearing. From the nails, auditory ossicles are made and are prosthetized in the ear.
A child for preventive purposes is useful to inspect in the first year of life, to check the ears when entering school, and if there are problems, then regularly in middle and senior school age, after influenza, measles or adenoids, otitis media, TBI, ringing in the ears. Sometimes enough pharmacotherapy is enough to make the hearing normal. If you need surgery, you can be put on the waiting list, but the truth is to wait a long time and use a hearing aid.
When should I go to the counselor?
If you are concerned about pain and noise in the ear, hearing loss, consult a hearing therapist. He will diagnose and prescribe treatment, individually select and adjust the hearing aid.
If you sometimes do not hear the knocking on the door or the phone ringing, if it's difficult for you to conduct a conversation in which several people are taking part, or close ones make comments to you that you are loud, if you are trying to sit close to the stage at a concert, . You can also be referred for advice to other narrow specialists, for example, a neurologist.
The surdologist works in the hospital or in public and private centers.
By 9 months the child usually listens to familiar sounds, babbles, and by one and a half years he knows his name, the words "mom", "dad" and several others. In two years the child should be able to add words to simple sentences.
Anxiety in older children is the deterioration of school performance.
What diagnostic methods does the surdologist use?
The surdologist in his practice uses tympanometry - examination of the auditory tube, and also evaluates the hearing at eleven frequencies. Also, according to the indications, electrochlearography is performed - a method of recording the activity of the cochlea and auditory nerve in cases of dizziness and hearing loss and ejaculation. Otmicroscopy and threshold audiometry, reflexometry are carried out.
What does the audiologist do?
The surdologist diagnoses and treats hearing impairments. It is necessary to address to the audiologist, if it is difficult to determine the direction of sound, if it is difficult to make out speech in crowded places. The surdologist examines the ear with an otoscope and diagnoses the hearing, turning to a whisper. Based on the results of the survey, the hearing aid is selected.
The problem is that 8-10% of people have hearing loss, but you can not notice at home that you do not hear well, because you can guess a lot on the meaning. So the brain compensates for hearing impairment.
A Surgeon becomes an ENT who has passed specialization in ear diseases. What leads to hearing loss:
- The habit is not to part with the player, but to spend the weekend constantly at discos and concerts.
- Work in noisy industries without headphones.
- Head injuries.
- Severe otitis media.
- Unsuccessful treatment with neurotoxic antibiotics.
- Congenital disorders of the structure of the middle and inner ear, or auditory nerve.
- Acquired neuropathies of the auditory nerve after the transferred diseases of the brain.
- Diabetes.
After the doctor has established a hearing impairment and found out why a person began to hear badly, he suggests ways of solving this problem.
Worried about hearing loss, sudden or chronic, otosclerosis and tinnitus, can not hear the ringtone on the phone or the doorphone call, often ask to repeat what has been said, are you being asked to talk more quietly? Often you need to make the TV louder, otherwise you do not hear anything? Quickly go to the audiologist.
Otosclerosis is a disease in which the bone of the middle ear grows. Signs of the disease are 20% of people. It first appears at the end of puberty. Signs of otosclerosis: noise in the ears, hearing loss.
Deafness is a significant loss of hearing in which a person can not perceive speech, and hearing loss is a significant loss of hearing, in which the ability to perceive speech is preserved. Deafness is due to the presence in the ear canal of sulfur plug and damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. In this case, they talk about neurosensory hearing loss. Its causes: trauma, taking certain medications, brain diseases, rubella. Hearing aids are used to compensate for hearing loss with hearing loss. They are attached to the back or inside the ear. Intrachannel apparatuses are preferable for people who are shy of their illness, but they are more expensive than external ones.
Noises in the ears are noted with otitis, obstruction of the auditory tube, tumors of the middle ear and trauma, as well as anemia and atherosclerosis, and other vascular diseases.
With all these conditions, you will be assisted by a surdologist.
What diseases are treated by the audiologist?
The surdologist treats hearing impairment both conservatively and operatively. Laser treatment and other types of physiotherapy are used.
Ménière's disease is the defeat of the inner ear with a decrease in hearing and noise in the ears. The disease begins in 40-50 years. Accompanied by noise in the ears and their congestion, numbness of the auricle.
Acoustic neurinoma is a slowly developing benign tumor that causes a loss of sense of balance.
The surdologist treats all hereditary, congenital and acquired pathologies of hearing: otosclerosis, perforation of the tympanic membrane and other disorders. Gradual hearing loss is normal after 25 years. At first the person ceases to hear only sounds of very high frequency. But nevertheless expressed deafness, interfering with normal communication, is considered in the order of things not at such a young age, but after 55 years. To such people the hearing therapist selects the hearing aid.
It is important that the examination at the hearing therapist be comfortable, especially at the children's reception. Therefore, children are tested for hearing in a playful form.
Tips for the audiologist
It is important not to allow the delay in speech development in a hearing child.
A newborn baby shudders at a clap a meter away from him. At 3 months, he already turns his head, if he hears a familiar voice, knows the parts of the body in a year and a half, shows them, if asked, at 2 years fulfills simple requests of adults, at 4 years performs several teams alternately, at 5 years - supports a simple conversation.
Children whose homes are close to the railway often have hearing problems. If there is a noisy road next to the house, take care of windows and doors with soundproofing.
The surdologist helps everyone who has hearing problems, today they are quite easily solved with the help of hearing aids.