ABOUT US
Hearing and Hearing Loss
Linksfield Audiology has been providing comprehensive hearing and balance services for almost twenty years. We are equipped to provide services to patient’s of all ages, form birth to 100 +! At Linksfield Audiology we always strive to provide our patients with the highest standard of quality services and products. This includes most brands of hearing aids as well as hearing protection.
Your audiologists at Linksfield Audiology are Chantelle van der Merwe and Corli Richard.
The rest of our staff complement includes our receptionist Mickey Gliksman and our Accounts Manager Lindsay Palczewski.
Can your child HEAR properly?
Your child’s hearing ability should be fully developed by the 20th week of your pregnancy!
Common signs of hearing loss in children are:
- Frequent recurrent ear infections
- Non-responsive to sounds & speech around them
- Unclear and/or delayed speech
- Poor school performance
We provide comprehensive hearing assessments for children and adults.
Hearing Loss
Hearing impairment is the most frequent sensory deficit in humans.
According to literature, it affects more than 250 million people around the world. It is estimated that two thirds of the people who have hearing loss, live in developing countries like South Africa. However, less than 50% of the hearing impaired population does something to improve and protect their hearing, even though in a lot of cases, hearing loss could have been prevented.
A hearing loss can result if there’s a problem at any point along the hearing pathway – in the outer, middle or inner ears, or even in the complex auditory nerve pathway to the brain. Hearing loss can be either:
- Congenital (present at or soon after birth), or
- Acquired (develops later),
and is usually classified as either conductive or sensorineural in nature.
Balance
A balance disorder is a condition that causes a person to feel unsteady, as if you are moving, spinning, or floating, and can occur when standing, walking or even lying down. Typical symptoms of balance disorders may include:
- Dizziness or vertigo (a spinning sensation)
- Falling or feeling as if you are going to fall
- Lightheadedness, faintness, or a floating sensation
- Nausea and vomiting
Other symptoms can also include diarrhea, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, fear, anxiety, or panic. Some people may also experience some disorientation. Symptoms may come and go over short time periods or last for longer periods of time.
Balance disorders can be caused by certain health conditions, medications, or a problem in the inner ear or the brain. Many people experience problems with their sense of balance as they get older. However, many balance disorders can begin all of a sudden, at any age, and with no obvious cause.
Several body systems have to work in perfect unison to enable you to keep your balance. These systems include:
- Visual system (eyes)
- Vestibular system (ears)
- Proprioception (the body's sense of where it is in space).
Damage, degeneration or loss of function in any of these systems can lead to balance deficits.
At Linksfield Audiology we work closely with ENT Surgeons and General Practitioners to assess and determine the nature and treatment for your balance disorders. Contact us without delay should you have any queries related to balance and dizziness you are experiencing.
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