Services and Treatments

UNC Hospitals Audiology offers the following services and treatments:

• Comprehensive hearing evaluations using techniques appropriate for newborn through geriatric patients including Auditory Brainstem, immittance and otoacoustic emissions tests.
  • Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) is a procedure that measures the response of the hearing nerve when a sound is presented. Sound is sent to the ears through small ear inserts and a special computer measures the firing of the nerve. This test does not require any response from the person being tested and can be done during sleep, which makes it useful for testing newborns and young infants.
  • Immittance testing is a procedure that provides information for the doctor and audiologist about the health of the eardrum and the middle ear. The middle ear is where children may have a build-up of fluid or an ear infection.
  • Otoacoustic emissions testing is a relatively new procedure that sends sound into the ear through a small ear tip and then measures the sound reflected back. This test also does not require any response from the listener and can be done during sleep. It can provide valuable information on the status of the auditory system.
• Counseling regarding the type and degree of hearing loss, the effects of the hearing loss on the individual and the family, and management options
• Specially trained pediatric audiologists employ state-of-the-art procedures to fit hearing aids on infants and young children
• Adult Hearing aid selection and fitting
• Hearing aid repair and electroacoustic evaluation. Electroacoustic evaluation involves connecting the hearing aid to a computer and reading its function, somewhat like the computer analysis done on a car. From this evaluation the audiologist can tell if the hearing aid is functioning as it should be.
• Cochlear implant evaluation
• Cochlear implant programming, trouble-shooting and diagnostic evaluation of CI equipment for Med El, Cochlear and Advanced Bionics devices
• Custom swim molds and custom listening molds
• Hearing protection, including custom musicians earplugs and Electronic Shooter Protection devices