The second most important organ of human senses is hearing. Like through sight, through sounds we get basic information about the world around us. Recently, there has been a strong hearing loss in people. And increasingly, not only the elderly, but also the children need an audiologist. Not many people know who this is, because this specialty appeared in Russia only in the 90s of the 20th century. Technological progress is often the cause of hearing loss, but it also allows deaf people to hear now. An audiologist not only checks the hearing, but also selects and sets up hearing aids.
Causes of hearing diseases
Recently, the number of people suffering from various diseases of the hearing organs has been increasing annually by 20 percent. Why do people begin to hear worse? There may be several reasons for this:
1. Damage to the inner ear due to inflammatory, viral or bacterial diseases.
2. Complications after various diseases of the internal organs: cardiovascular system, atherosclerosis, diabetes mellitus or blood diseases.
3. Age-related degenerative changes in the organs of hearing that occur in people older than 60 years.
4. The consequences of traumatic brain injury.
5. Taking some medications.
6. But the most common cause in recent years is a chronic acoustic load: the constant impact on the organ of hearing of loud music, noise, vibration, the use of headphones and stereo systems.
Therefore, more and more people need an audiologist. Who is this, and what he does, you need to know from childhood. But, as experience shows, only in large cities do people have the opportunity to get advice from this specialist. What you need to know about this doctor?
What does an audiologist do
It treats not only people with hearing loss. The main specialty of this doctor is
otolaryngology, therefore, he is treated with otitis media and inflammatory diseases of the eardrum. But most often he deals with hearing loss problems. You definitely need to consult an audiologist if you feel pain and discomfort in your ears, periodic ringing or noise, it is difficult for you to distinguish some sounds, and you often ask or ask to increase the volume of the TV.
It is necessary to visit this doctor after a viral illness, injury or a foreign body entering the external auditory canal. All this can provoke a decrease in hearing, and the sooner treatment is started, the more favorable the result. And only an audiologist has devices for determining the initial stages of hearing loss. If it is not possible to cope with the disease medically, surgical methods of treatment are used. But more often than not, this specialist helps people pick up a hearing aid.
Do young children need an audiologist?
Who is this, every mother should know. Indeed, hearing impairment is often not immediately recognizable, but it strongly affects the general and speech development of babies. And only a pediatric audiologist can recognize hearing problems in time and give recommendations to parents on how to prevent them. If you notice that the child does not respond well to sounds, often asks or lags behind in the development of speech, be sure to contact this specialist. It is advisable to get his consultation also before entering kindergarten and school.
Hearing loss is now found in many adolescents and young people. An audiologist is required to prevent complete hearing loss . Many people already know who this is, and this profession is becoming more and more in demand.