Audiology is the part of healthcare that focuses on hearing and balance.

The people who do this work are called audiologists.

Audiologists help people who:

  • Have trouble hearing
  • Hear ringing or buzzing sounds (tinnitus)
  • Feel dizzy or have balance problems
  • Need hearing aids or other hearing devices

An audiologist will:

  • Test your hearing in a quiet room
  • Check how well your ears and hearing nerves work
  • Explain the results in a simple way
  • Offer treatment or hearing aids if needed
  • Support children and adults with long‑term hearing problems

Audiology services help people stay connected with family, friends, and everyday life by improving hearing and communication.

What services do we provide?

We will ask you questions about your hearing and how this impacts your daily life. We will also ask you more general questions about your medical history and test your ears.

Pure tone audiometry is the most common form of hearing test. This is where you wear a pair of headphones or earphones and press a button when you hear a sound. This helps us to find out the quietest sounds you can hear. 

Some adults with additional needs like a learning disability or dementia might find pressing a button hard. We can change our hearing tests in different ways to help. 

After the test we will talk about your results with you. If we find you have hearing loss you might need a hearing aid. This is a small device that makes sounds louder and clearer. We will give you a hearing aid that helps your particular hearing loss. 

All babies are offered a hearing test when they are born. If your baby responds clearly, no other tests are needed. 

If we can't get a clear response from your baby they will have more detailed tests. Permanent hearing loss is rare in babies. Around 1 or 2 babies in every 1,000 babies born will have hearing loss. 

If your baby does have hearing loss we can give them a hearing aid to help them hear better. This is a small device that makes sounds louder and clearer. 

You do not have to make a decision straight away. You can decide later whether you would like your baby to have a hearing aid or not. 

 

We will ask you some questions about your child’s responses to sound, their medical history and their development. 

We will use the most appropriate hearing test for your child depending on their age and development. 

Children aged 6 months and younger

We will test your child's ear by: 

  • Oto acoustic emissions to test the inner part of the ear. This involves putting a soft tip in the ear to record a response from the hearing organ. 
  • Auditory brainstem response or auditory steady state response. This involves testing your child when they are very settled or asleep. Soft tips are put in the ears to play sounds. Sticky sensors are put on their forehead and behind the ears to record responses from the hearing nerve. 

Children aged 7 months and older 

We will test the quietest sounds your child will respond to. This will be either: 

  • Visual reinforcement audiometry. This teaches children to turn to sounds. They are rewarded with a puppet or cartoon. 
  • Play audiometry. This teaches children to do something in response to a sound. This might be something like putting a peg on a board.
  • Pure tone audiometry. This asks them to press a button when they hear a sound. 

 

What type of hearing aids do we offer?

We offer different hearing aids depending on how old your child is and the type and level of their hearing loss. These include hearing aids that go behind the ear with a soft custom earpiece. For older children there is a more discreet slim tube. We have hearing aids in a range of colours. 

What happens during a hearing aid fitting appointment?

We might re-test your child's hearing to make sure we have an up-to-date picture of their hearing levels. We then programme hearing aids on the computer using a prescription. This is based on the hearing test results. We might check this prescription using a test box. We will check that the hearing aid is comfortable for your child to wear, and then switch it on. We might check how well your child can hear sounds or words when wearing the hearing aid.

Do I need to do anything before my child’s hearing aid appointment?

If your child is under 3 you can fill out the LittlEars questionnaire by clicking here.

If they are school aged you can fill out the PEACH and LIFE questionnaires. 

These will give us more information about how well your child can hear. You can also ask for a written copy of these questionnaires by contacting the audiology team. Contact details are on this page. 

What is tinnitus?

Tinnitus is when you hear sounds in your ears or head that are not coming from outside. People often describe it as:

  • Ringing
  • Buzzing
  • Humming
  • Whistling
  • Hissing

Some people hear it all the time, and others only notice it now and then.

What is increased sound sensitivity?

Increased sound sensitivity means that everyday sounds seem very loud, uncomfortable or even painful. These sounds can also cause strong emotional or physical reactions in your body.

If your sound sensitivity is affecting your daily life you might be sent to audiology. We will do a full test and look at ways to help you manage it.

What will happen at my tinnitus or sound sensitivity appointment?

You can choose a face-to-face appointment or one on video call. This will be with an audiologist. 

Before your appointment we will ask you to fill out three short questionnaires to test the effect that  tinnitus or sound sensitivity is having on your life. This means we can focus what is having the biggest impact.

During your appointment we will ask you about your medical history. This will include questions about your hearing, general health and your lifestyle. 

Once the test is complete we can talk about options to help manage your tinnitus or sound sensitivity to improve your quality of life. 

 

What causes problems with balance?

Feeling dizzy or unsteady is very common. These symptoms can happen for many different medical reasons. One of the most common causes is a problem with the inner ear, also known as the vestibular system, which helps you keep your balance.

If you are referred to audiology we will do a balance assessment to check if your inner ear is involved.

What will happen at my appointment?

"Dizziness” can describe many different feelings, and it is not the same for everyone. Before your appointment, it is helpful to think about:

  • When your dizziness started
  • What it feels like
  • If it has changed over time
  • Any other symptoms or medical conditions you have

At the start of your appointment, the audiologist will ask detailed questions about these things.

The tests you have will focus on how well the balance organs in your inner ear are working. Your symptoms and medical history will help decide which tests are best for you. All tests are carried out by an audiologist with specialist training in balance assessment.

Where possible, we will explain your results and give you a diagnosis on the same day. Sometimes, we may need to review your results with other specialists. This helps us look at all possible causes. Our wider balance team includes:

  • Ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors
  • Neurologists (brain and nerve doctors)
  • Cardiologists (heart doctors)
  • Physiotherapists (who help with movement)
  • Pharmacists

Together, they help create the best diagnosis and treatment plan for you.

What happens if you find a problem?

Depending on your results, we may talk to you about ways to improve your balance. This may include vestibular rehabilitation. This is a set of exercises designed to:

  • Help your balance system recover
  • Reduce dizziness
  • Improve your day‑to‑day confidence

You can choose a face-to-face or video call appointment. 

Before your appointment you will be asked to fill in two short questionnaires. These help us understand:

  • How your symptoms affect your life
  • Whether your symptoms are improving
  • If there are any other factors contributing to your dizziness

Where will my treatment take place?

Audiology appointments take place at different places. Your appointment letter will tell you where you should go. It might be at: 

  • Sunderland Royal Hospital 
  • Palmer Community Hospital 
  • Durham Treatment Centre 
  • Galleries Health Centre (Washington) 

We sometimes do phone call and video call appointments. Your letter will explain what to do if you have a phone or video appointment. 

The main audiology department is at Sunderland Royal Hospital. This is in the outpatient department at Chester Wing. Use entrance 5 on the Chester Road side of the hospital. 

You should check in at audiology reception. This is on the right as you walk into Chester Wing. You will not be able to use the self-check-in machines for audiology appointments. 

For other locations, click here. 

Where can I find out more?

Our senior team in Audiology

  • Clinical Director - Helen Cocks 

  • Divisional Director - Caroline McGrath

  • Directorate Manager - Petrina Smith
  • Matron - Carolynne Hardy

Contact us

We are here Monday to Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to change or cancel your appointment.