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Audiology
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Audiology is the clinical evaluation and
management of hearing and balance problems in people of all ages. It also
involves the fitting and management of hearing aids and other hearing
assistive devices.
The specialist who practices audiology is
called an audiologist.
Signs that may indicate the need to see an
audiologist for a hearing evaluation:
¢ Problems hearing over the telephone.
¢ Trouble following conversations when two
or more people speak at once.
¢ Trouble following conversations in a
setting with a noisy background.
¢ Confusion about where sounds are located.
¢ Having to ask people to repeat themselves.
¢ Problems hearing or understanding speech
of children or women.
¢ Most people seem to mumble or
don't speak
clearly.
¢ Problems with misunderstanding others and
making inappropriate responses.
¢ Others notice that television
volume is high.
¢ Missing sounds of telephone or doorbell
ringing.
¢ Avoiding activities because of problems
with hearing and understanding speech.An audiologist
specializes in the prevention, assessment and rehabilitation of auditory and
vestibular disorders for the purpose of optimizing human communication and
function in people of all ages.
They provide treatment and rehabilitation of individuals with hearing loss,
including the fitting of customized hearing instruments.
An audiologist also performs specialized testing for diagnosis of balance
disorders, provides vestibular rehabilitation and manages long-term therapy. Audiologists have graduate degrees, have completed a clinical
internship and have state licensure.
The audiologists of
St. John's Clinic-Ear, Nose & Throat have doctoral degrees in audiology.Our
audiologists are Fellows of the
American Academy of Audiology. They hold the Certificate of Clinical
Competence in Audiology from the
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. This certification demands
strict guidelines pertaining to the content and amount of clinical
experience required. Missouri licenses our audiologists through
both the Board of Healing Arts in Audiology and the Board of Examiners for
Hearing Instrument Specialists.
St. John's audiologists
provide complete audiological care in a new, state-of-the-art facility. It
is a personalized practice of health care, in which our audiologists work
with the patient, the patient's family, friends, other health care providers
and/or educational, vocational or industrial professionals, to provide
complete hearing and balance care for all ages. We are the largest
clinical audiology group in southwest Missouri with many specialized
programs, including cochlear implants.
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