Audiology

Our adult audiology department provides comprehensive and evidence-based assessment for complex cases of hearing loss. The department does not assess routine cases, so for information on this, please speak with your GP. We offer a variety of services, including:​

Adult Hearing Assessment​

• Otoscopy – An examination of the ear using a handheld magnifying light.​
• Tympanometry - A quick and painless test to assess the mobility of the ear drum.​
• Pure Tone Audiometry - A hearing test which involves listening for a series of tones played through headphones or earphones. ​

Advanced Audiology Assessment​

• Speech testing (AB wordlists) - An advanced hearing test which uses words instead of tones to assess hearing abilities. ​
• Acoustic Reflexes - A test which uses loud sounds to assess for the presence of reflexes in the middle ear.​
• Diagnostic Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) - An objective method of hearing assessment. ​
• Otoacoustic Emissions - An objective assessment method to assess inner ear hair cell function. 

NHS Hearing Aids

We provide fitting and ongoing support for adult hearing aids including behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids from a variety of manufacturers including Oticon, Phonak and Danalogic.​

We provide custom ear mould and thin-tube fittings. Your audiologist will discuss with you which of these options would be best suited for you. ​

NHS hearing aids are now often equipped with Bluetooth and can connect to some smartphones. ​

How to prepare for your appointment​

Ahead of your appointment it is suggested that you consider your hearing abilities in a range of situations to help your audiologist understand the way in which your hearing is impacting upon your day-to-day life. ​

If you are attending for a hearing assessment, you should have been sent a “Glasgow Hearing Aid Benefit Profile” questionnaire. Please complete this and bring it with you to your appointment.

Welcome to the Children's Hearing Services at Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust.

Our team is here to help children aged 0 months to 18 years with their hearing health. We offer different services to make sure we provide the best care for each child and their family.​

Our Services:

• Newborn Hearing Screening: We check the hearing of newborn babies so that any hearing problems may be identified early and appropriate support can be put in place.​
• Diagnostic Hearing Assessment: For children who need more tests after newborn screening or those who may need further tests after illness or hospital treatment, we carry out thorough assessments to understand their hearing and plan further management.​
• Routine Hearing Assessment: Children from 6 months can be seen for a routine hearing check. We use a variety of ways to check hearing including playing listening games.​
• Complex Hearing Assessment: Some children need special tests because of tricky hearing conditions or other needs. Our experienced team carries out detailed assessments to create the best plan for them.​
• Hearing Aids: For children with hearing loss, we help choose and fit hearing aids. We work closely with families to help support communication.​
• BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid): Some children might need a special hearing aid called a BAHA. We provide assessments, fittings, and ongoing care for children who can benefit from this.

What happens at an appointment?​

When you come for an appointment, our audiologist will talk to you about any concerns you have and your child's medical history. We use different tests, look in the ears and play games, to check hearing and your audiologist will explain these on the day.

A small handheld magnifying light may be used to look into your child’s ear: and the test for children will be different depending on what stage of development they are at.

Newborns or children unable to complete one of the tests described below may undergo an objective hearing assessment. This may include measuring a response from the inner ear using a test called otoacoustic emissions or by measuring nerve activity using some small sticky pads attached to the child’s head. Both tests are completely painless but do require the child to be still and quiet, so work best if the child or baby is asleep. ​

For younger children, testing may involve playing sounds from speakers or headphones and teaching them to turn towards a puppet or television screen whenever a sound is heard. This is known as Visual Reinforcement Audiometry (VRA). Slightly older children may play listening games such as putting a hoop on a stick or a person in a boat whenever a noise is heard. This is known as Performance or Play Audiometry.​

For older children, Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) may be used which is a more comprehensive test of hearing like that used in an adult assessment. This test involves wearing headphones and pushing a button whenever a sound is heard.

Other tests include tympanometry to check the mobility of a child’s ear drum. This quick test involves placing a soft tip into the child’s ear for a few seconds whilst delivering some light pressure changes to record how the ear drum moves. This is often used to assess for the presence of Glue Ear which is very common in younger people.

How to prepare your child

It helps to talk to your child about the appointment and practice some "pretend" tests. For example, you can use a small light to look in their ears or practice some ‘ready steady go’ or ‘wait and listen’ games to get them ready for the hearing test.

Additional support

Children’s Hearing Services Working Groups (CHSWGs) are groups of parents and professionals who work with deaf children and young people. They meet regularly to help improve health, education and social care services for deaf children, young people and their families.  Talk to your child's Audiologist or visit this link for more info.

South Hampshire Deaf Children’s Society can offer support via their website.

For questions around equipment, please visit www.connevans.co.uk.

For questions around education, health and care services, you can check the below links:

• Portsmouth Local Offer​
• Hampshire Local Offer​
• West Sussex Local Offer​
• Isle of Wight Local Offer

The Implantable Devices Audiology team at Portsmouth Hospitals NHS University Trust offer a range of devices that can be used on a band, adhesive or implant for conductive, mixed, and single sided hearing losses. These are called Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) and work by stimulating the inner ear directly. ​

Our service provides care to paediatric and adult patients to support individuals where conventional hearing aids are not able to be used. ​

The Implantable Devices Audiology department offers a wide range of services including:​

Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA) ​

We provide assessments and fittings for adult and paediatric patients for the following surgical and non-surgical BAHA’s.  ​

• Med-EL non-surgical device ADHEAR  .
• Cochlear BAHA devices​ including implant and non-surgical devices.
• Oticon Medical BAHS (Bone Anchored Hearing Systems) devices ​including surgical and non-surgical options.

How to get an appointment​

You can be referred by a GP, ENT, audiology, or another suitable health professional for an appointment with the team.

What will happen at my appointment?​

At your appointment, the Audiologist will discuss the appropriate options for your hearing levels, and you can decide which device/s you would like to trial. The appointment will last up to an hour and a range of specialist tests be carried out. These include:​

• Otoscopic Ear Examination - a small handheld magnifying light is used to look into the ears. ​
• Hearing Tests​ - pure tone audiometry may be carried out or repeated. This involves wearing headphones and pushing a handheld response button whenever a sound is heard. ​
• Middle Ear Assessment (Tympanometry)​ - tympanometry is a method of assessing the mobility of the ear drum. This involves placing a soft tip into the ear for a few seconds with a small change of pressure to look at the movement of the ear drum. ​
• Speech testing ​- this is a method of assessing how clear speech is. You will hear sentences or words and be asked to repeat what you have heard. This can be carried out with headphones on or from a speaker. We may complete this with a hearing device on or without.  
• In situ-audiometry ​- to verify some of the BAHA’s we may play a range of tones through the device and ask you to let us know when you are able to hear these.   ​
• Other assessment techniques not listed are sometimes used. Your audiologist will always ensure to explain the tests prior. ​

What can I do to prepare for my appointment?​

You may wish to look at the potential devices that could be fitted prior to your appointment so you have an idea of which you may prefer to trial. The websites for the manufacturers are listed below: ​

• Cochlear
• MED-EL
• Oticon Medical

We have a small team of dedicated audiologist trained in tinnitus management who can provide advice and assessment of troublesome tinnitus. Troublesome tinnitus is a common symptom which can vary in severity and arise from a wide range of sources including hearing loss, stress, and anxiety. ​

The tinnitus team can assess the impact that tinnitus is having upon your day-to-day lift and recommend self-help strategies to help you manage your symptoms and lessen its impact. Many tinnitus management strategies are focused upon helping you to live better with your tinnitus and may include:​

• Understanding tinnitus ​
• Tinnitus masking hearing aids​
• Sound enrichment​
• Advice on improving sleep​
• Support groups​

What will happen at my appointment​?

During your appointment you will have the opportunity to discuss your symptoms and their day-to-day impact, you may also be asked to complete questionnaire(s). following these discussions additional testing may be recommended and the team will explore available management strategies. More than one appointment may be required.

Vestibular audiology looks at the assessment and management of conditions which can affect a person’s sense of balance. The vestibular audiology team works closely with AudioVestibular Medicine (AVM) to provide an assessment service to assist with diagnosis and management of dizzy patients.​

Most patients referred to the vestibular clinic will undergo a “diagnostic vestibular assessment” which involves the completion a several different tests to try and understand various aspects of your balance system function. These might include:​

Vestibular Evoked Myogenic Potentials (VEMPs)​

The VEMP test helps us understand a specific part of your inner ear's balance system. We measure small muscular reflexes triggered by repeated loud sounds. You skin will be cleaned, and small pads will be attached to record muscle activity. You will turn your head to tense your neck muscles while we play sounds through headphones. The test takes 10-15 minutes, and there's no need to respond to the sounds. Though the sounds are loud, they won't harm your hearing. In rare cases, the test may briefly intensify dizziness sensations.​

Video Head Impulse Testing (vHIT)​

vHIT assesses how your eyes move when your head movements. A healthy balance systems make eyes move opposite to the head—a Vestibular-Ocular Reflex (VOR). You wear goggles with a sensitive camera and focus your eyes on a target. While keeping your eyes wide and focused, your clinician will quickly move your head in various directions. The head movements are quick, short and sharp; it is crucial not to resist or assist head movements. If you have neck issues, inform your clinician beforehand. The test is quick and helps us understand how you balance system works during head movement.

Videonystagmography (VNG)​

VNG uses goggles to track eye movements during various tests, like following dots on a screen. In some tests the goggles are covered, while others include different head or body positions. Your clinician will guide you through each test, and none should cause pain or discomfort. The process helps us understand how your eye movements and balance system function.​

Bithermal Caloric Irrigations​

The caloric test involves putting warm or cool water into each ear for 30 seconds to stimulate or inhibit the balance system. This temperature difference can make you feel like you're spinning for 1 or 2 minutes, before returning to normal. This test gives useful information about your balance system in each ear.​

Vestibular Rehabilitation​

Vestibular rehabilitation clinics provide an individual rehabilitation plan to help people to improve their balance. Vestibular Rehabilitation has been demonstrated in research to contribute to improved quality of life for people with balance disorders. Vestibular rehabilitation may include physiotherapy-style exercises, support in changing thought processes towards symptoms and practical advice to manage the day-to-day impact of their condition. ​

Vestibular rehabilitation is often a lengthy process which requires consistent effort and time-commitment from the individual. Diligent completion of recommended exercises is needed to provide the best outcomes. 

Conditions​

Conditions which we commonly manage with vestibular rehabilitation may include:​

• Peripheral vestibular hypofunction​
• Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)​
• Vestibular Migraine​
• Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD)​
• Vestibular Schwannoma/Acoustic Neuroma​

Vestibular rehabilitation is a specialist service which must be referred to by a consultant. 

Adult Hearing Assessment and Rehab Clinics

• Queen Alexandra Hospital – D level
• St Richards Hospital​, Spitalfield Lane​, Chichester, PO19 6SE
• Fareham Community Hospital​, 233A Brook Ln​, Sarisbury Green​, Southampton, SO31 7DQ
• Meon Health practice ​
• St Mary's Hospital (Isle of Wight)​
• Bognor Regis War Memorial Hospital ​

Paediatric Hearing Assessment and Rehab

• The Elizabeth Foundation, Southwick Hill Road​, Cosham​, PO6 3LL
• St Mary's Hospital (Isle of Wight)​
• Chapel Street Clinic (Chichester)

Implantable Device Audiology Services (BAHA)​

• Queen Alexandra Hospital – D level
• St Richards Hospital, Spitalfield Lane​, Chichester, PO19 6SE
• St Mary's Hospital (Isle of Wight)
• The Elizabeth Foundation, Southwick Hill Road​, Cosham​, PO6 3LL

Tinnitus

• Queen Alexandra Hospital – D level ​
• St Mary's Hospital (Isle of Wight)​
• St Richards Hospital, Spitalfield Lane​, Chichester, PO19 6SE
• Fareham Community Hospital, 233A Brook Ln, Sarisbury Green, Southampton, SO31 7DQ

Vestibular Assessment and Rehabilitation

• Queen Alexandra Hospital – D level