Audiologie — evaluare și diagnostic

What is audiology?

Audiology is the branch of medicine that deals with the evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of hearing and balance disorders. In ENT practice, audiological examination is essential for establishing a correct diagnosis and choosing the optimal treatment — from medication to hearing aids or surgery.

Available audiological investigations

• Pure tone audiometry — the standard test that measures the hearing threshold at different frequencies, both by air conduction and bone conduction.
• Speech audiometry — evaluates the ability to discriminate words, essential for hearing aid indication.
• Tympanometry (impedancemetry) — measures tympanic membrane compliance and middle ear function. Useful in diagnosing serous otitis in children.
• Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) — neonatal hearing screening and cochlear function assessment.
• Auditory evoked potentials (BERA/ABR) — objective evaluation of the auditory pathway, indicated for newborns and young children.

When is audiological evaluation necessary?

An audiological evaluation is recommended in the following situations:

• Perceived hearing loss (hypoacusis)
• Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
• Repeated middle ear infections, especially in children
• Delayed language development in children
• Post-surgical monitoring (after tympanoplasty, stapedotomy, etc.)
• Neonatal hearing screening

Pediatric audiology

In children, early detection of hearing loss is essential for normal language development. Dr. Vlad Postelnicu pays special attention to auditory evaluation in children, using age-appropriate methods — from otoacoustic emissions to behavioral and conditioned play audiometry.