Things To Know About Maryland Audiology

By Marla Mills


In Maryland audiology is done by highly trained audiologists within the branch of medicine. The term audiology comes from a blend of two Latin words. The two words are logia and audire. By definition, it is a branch of science that is concerned with the study of disorders of balance and hearing. Practitioners who treat the conditions are known as audiologists.

Audiologists specialize in the identification, diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of conditions affecting vestibular system and auditory parts of the ear. They are well trained in treating hearing and balance issues in human beings. This branch of medicine targets at establishing whether an individual can hear clearly within the normal range or not. If they cannot hear within the normal range, the practitioner tries to determine which frequencies are affected and to what level.

Hearing frequencies are usually classified as high, middle, or low. The audiologist advises the patient on what assistance or treatment options are available after establishing the problem. Options present can be in kind of cochlear implants, appropriate medicinal referrals, hearing aids, or surgery. Audiologists also work with a variety of clientele apart from testing hearing impairment. They work with individuals in pediatric populations, rehabs, and assess vestibular systems.

Audiologists provide a lot more assistance to people who become deaf when they are old. They teach coping and compensation skills. They also assist in designing and implementing industrial and personal hearing safety programs, school hearing testing programs, newborn hearing testing programs, and providing special fitting ear devices. They also design devices that help in protecting against loss in hearing and work as researchers in research facilities.

In order for someone to qualify to work as an audiologist, they need sufficient training in a broad range of fields. Among the fields include electrophysiology, psychophysics, acoustics, hearing aids, anatomy and physiology, cochlear implants, sign language, counseling, and neurology. Trainees usually graduate from learning institutes with one of the following, that is MSc (audiology), ScD, Au. D, PhD, or STI relying on the state and program of study.

In Maryland, audiologists are under the control of state licensure and registration authorities. No practitioners or graduates can practice without the license for the same. Various states have now set Doctor level as the entry level into clinical practice. This means that practitioners cannot practice if they have not attained a Doctorate degree in this field. National exam has to be undertaken also in addition to many hours of studying at a reputable academic institution.

There are several testing strategies utilized in testing hearing impairment in a patient. Some of the majorly known ones include electro-physiologic tests, otoacoustic emission measurements, and videonystagmography among others. Currently USA has more than 70 Doctorate degree programs in this field. Practitioners put many hours of their day handling different problems that crop up every day and require urgent attention.

Maryland audiology branch of medicine is highly developed in the area. The strict regulations about practicing have led to very high standards in the field. Cases of malpractice are very rare, but one should know that they are not totally absent. Always seek to understand the practitioner before allowing them to provide medication and advice.




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