Ruth Hadley MISHAA
Clinical Audiologist & Hearing Therapist
Hearing Assessments
All hearing assessments will be individually tailored on a personal needs basis with the goal to complete a standardised test battery to get as much information on the auditory/vestibular system as possible and hopefully, make a diagnosis on the same day. Depending on the client's developmental, attention and fatigue levels sometimes the assessment has to be split across two appointments. Full assessment reports can be provided at an extra cost for educational needs. Recommendations for onward referrals to other health care professionals i.e. GPs, ENT and Speech and Language Therapy, to aid a diagnosis and treatment will also be provided, if needed.
****If you suspect any ear wax blockage prior to any appointment at Kinsale Hearing please have this checked by your Nurse Practitioner at your registered GP and make sure this has been removed completely****
Adult Hearing Assessments
During a 1 hour adult hearing assessment, all areas of the hearing system are examined, this includes:
- Full History
- Otoscopy is the examination of the ear canal and ear drum identifying potential physical abnormalities related to a hearing loss
- Tympanometry is used to evaluate the movement of the eardrum and status of the middle ear.
- Pure-Tone Audiometry tests air and bone conduction to determine the type of hearing loss.
- Speech Audiometry (optional)
- Uncomfortable Loudness Level Measurements (optional)
Types of Hearing Loss:
- A conductive hearing loss results from potential problems in the outer and/or middle ear.
- A sensori-neural hearing loss is caused by problems in the inner ear- cochlea and auditory nerve.
- A mixed hearing loss is a combination of both conductive and sensorineural.
Paediatric Hearing Assessments
During a child’s hearing assessment, we will examine all areas of the ear and hearing system in a non-invasive, calm, and child-friendly manner:
- Tympanometry
This test is used to assess middle ear function. It is useful in determining if the middle ear has abnormal air pressure and helps detect the presence of fluid. - Play Audiometry (>4yrs)
During play audiometry the child responds to sounds presented via earphones with the use of toys/games. - Pure-Tone Audiometry (>5yrs)
Pure-tone Audiometry is used to determine the softest sounds a child can hear using headphones. The child’s hearing thresholds can then be plotted on an audiogram.
Impression Taking
Please contact us at Kinsale Hearing - we provide custom-made moulds, swim plugs, noise protection and musicians’ ear plugs.