How did the discovery of mysterious echoes emanating from the inner ear finally vindicate an English physicist 40 years later? During the 1600s early theories of hearing accepted that the ear  (specifically the cochlea) was  a passive receptor of sound. Essentially the cochlea was believed to be a kind of complex resonator, over which environmental inputs…
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In my clinic I use three different methods for removing ear wax. They are: Oto-microscopy, irrigation and micro-suction. During oto-microscopy ear wax is extracted manually using fine surgical grade instruments under visualization of an operating microscope. A stainless steel speculum (funnel) is used to straighten the ear canal allowing accurate removal of wax using a variety…
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On average, one newborn in every thousand is born with a permanent bilateral (involving both ears) sensorineural hearing loss, mostly from genetic causes. Since the implementation of neonatal hearing screening in NSW in December 2002, the average age for diagnosis of permanent hearing loss has fallen from over two years to under six months. Earlier…
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For those individuals who have never had a hearing test, attending an initial audiology consultation can be quite a novel experience. Let’s have a look at what a typical hearing test involves. As a starting point a hearing history is taken to determine which tests will be required during the appointment. Secondly the ear canals are examined  using…
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