Browse 34 essential hearing aid clinic terms and definitions used by professionals in Bhubaneswar.
Term Index
Open any term below for a dedicated definition page.
Acoustic Feedback is a high-pitched whistling or squealing sound that occurs when amplified sound from a hearing aid leaks out of the ear and re-enters its microphone. The hearing aid then amplifies that sound repeatedly, creating a feedback loop. Poor fit, earwax, damaged parts, or excessive volume can trigger this problem.
Acoustic Reflex is an automatic contraction of the stapedius muscle in the middle ear after exposure to a sufficiently loud sound. The response reduces sound transmission through the ossicles and helps protect the inner ear. Audiologists measure this response during immittance testing to assess middle-ear function and parts of the auditory nerve pathway.
Audiogram is a graph that records a person’s hearing thresholds across different pitches and loudness levels. The test shows the softest sounds a person can hear, usually in decibels hearing level, at frequencies measured in hertz. Audiograms help identify the degree, type, and pattern of hearing loss in each ear.
Audiologist is a healthcare professional who assesses hearing and balance, identifies hearing disorders, and supports communication through clinical care. An audiologist may perform hearing testsinterpret audiograms, recommend hearing technology, programme hearing aids, and provide rehabilitation. Audiologists also work with children and adults, and refer patients for medical assessment when needed.
Auditory Brainstem Response is an objective hearing test that records electrical activity from the auditory nerve and brainstem after sound stimulation. Small electrodes placed on the scalp measure these responses while the person rests quietly. Audiologists use the results to estimate hearing sensitivity, assess neural pathways, and support hearing evaluation when behavioural responses are unreliable.
Behind-the-Ear Hearing Aid is an electronic hearing device worn behind the outer ear that captures sound through a microphone, processes it digitally, and sends amplified sound into the ear through a tube, earmould, or receiver. This style suits many degrees of hearing loss and can include rechargeable power, wireless connectivity, and adjustable listening programmes.
Bilateral Hearing Loss is reduced hearing in both ears. The loss may affect one ear more than the other and may involve conductive, sensorineural, or mixed causes. It can develop gradually or suddenly.
Bone Conduction is the transmission of sound vibrations through the bones of the skull to the inner ear, bypassing the outer and middle ear. This pathway can support hearing when sound can't travel normally through the ear canal or middle ear. Bone conduction is assessed during hearing tests and used in specialised hearing devices.
BTE is a behind-the-ear hearing aid that houses its microphone, processor, and amplifier in a case worn behind the outer ear. Sound travels to the ear through tubing, an ear mould, or a thin receiver wire. BTE devices suit many degrees of hearing loss and can serve children and adults.
Cochlea is a spiral-shaped, fluid-filled organ in the inner ear that changes sound vibrations into electrical signals for the brain. Thousands of sensory hair cells inside the cochlea respond to different sound frequencies. Damage to these cells can cause permanent sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, or reduced speech understanding.
Conductive Hearing Loss is reduced hearing caused by a problem in the outer or middle ear that blocks sound from reaching the inner ear normally. Common causes include earwax, fluid, infection, a perforated eardrum, or damaged ossicles. Hearing may improve when the underlying blockage or disease receives suitable medical treatment.
dB is the abbreviation for decibel, a logarithmic unit used to express the ratio between two levels of sound or other physical quantities. In hearing care, dB commonly describes sound intensity, hearing thresholds, hearing aid output, and noise exposure. The meaning depends on the reference scale, such as dB SPL or dB HL.
Decibel is a logarithmic unit used to express the ratio between two levels of sound intensity, sound pressure, or signal power. In hearing care, decibels describe sound level and hearing thresholds. The abbreviation is dB, and the reference value changes with the measurement system, such as dB SPL or dB HL.
Ear Canal is the narrow passage that carries sound from the outer ear to the eardrum. It begins at the ear opening and ends at the tympanic membrane. Skin, fine hairs and earwax help protect the canal, while its shape and size affect hearing, ear examinations and the fit of some hearing aids.
Earwax is a natural substance produced by glands in the ear canal. It contains oils, shed skin and other materials that trap dust, slow bacterial growth and protect the eardrum. Earwax usually moves towards the outer ear without help, where it dries and falls away. Excessive buildup can block sound and cause discomfort.
Electrode is a conductive sensor that carries electrical signals between body tissue and a recording or stimulation device. In hearing healthcare, electrodes detect nerve activity during tests such as auditory brainstem response and deliver controlled electrical signals in cochlear implants. Placement, contact quality, and signal strength affect the accuracy and safety of results.
FM System is an assistive listening device that sends a speaker’s voice from a microphone to a listener’s hearing aid, cochlear implant, or receiver. The system uses frequency modulation radio signals to reduce the effects of distance, background noise, and room reverberation. FM systems are often used in classrooms, meetings, and guided activities.
Hearing Aid Domes are soft, replaceable sleeves fitted over the receiver or sound outlet of many hearing aids. The domes sit in the ear canal, help hold the device in place, and shape how amplified sound enters the ear.
Hearing Aid Receiver is the small speaker that converts processed electrical signals into sound inside or near the ear. It's a key part of many hearing aids, especially receiver-in-canal and receiver-in-the-ear models. The receiver sends amplified sound through an ear dome, earmould, or custom shell, according to the programmed hearing needs.
Hearing Aid Styles is the range of physical designs used to place hearing aid components on or inside the ear. Common styles include behind-the-ear, receiver-in-canal, in-the-ear, in-the-canal, and completely-in-canal devices. Each design differs in visibility, handling, power capacity, fit, maintenance needs, and suitability for a person’s hearing loss and daily activities.
Hearing Threshold is the quietest sound a person can detect at a specific frequency under defined test conditions. Audiologists record thresholds in decibels hearing level (dB HL) across several frequencies. The results form an audiogram and help identify the degree, type, and pattern of hearing loss in each ear.
Hyperacusis is a hearing condition in which ordinary sounds seem unusually loud, painful, or distressing. A person may react strongly to speech, traffic, kitchen noise, or music that others tolerate comfortably. The condition can affect one or both ears and may occur with tinnitus, hearing loss, migraine, head injury, or noise exposure.
Impedance is the opposition that a system presents to the flow of energy. In hearing care, the term usually describes how the middle ear resists sound energy and how easily the eardrum and ossicles move. Audiologists assess this function through immittance tests, especially tympanometry, to identify middle-ear problems.
In-the-Ear Hearing Aid is a custom-fitted electronic device placed inside the outer ear to amplify sound. The device contains a microphone, sound processor, receiver, and battery or rechargeable power source within one casing. It may suit mild to severe hearing loss, depending on the ear shape, hearing needs, and available space.
Inner Ear is the deepest part of the ear, located within the temporal bone of the skull. It contains the cochlea, which changes sound vibrations into nerve signals, and the vestibular system, which supports balance and body position.
ITE is a style of hearing aid designed to sit partly or fully inside the outer ear. The device contains a microphone, sound processor, receiver, battery or rechargeable power source, and controls within one casing. An ITE hearing aid is custom-made or selected to match the ear, and it suits several degrees of hearing loss.
Mixed Hearing Loss is a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss in the same ear. Problems in the outer or middle ear reduce sound transmission, while damage in the inner ear or hearing nerve affects sound processing. The degree and pattern can differ between ears and may change over time.
Noise-Induced Hearing Loss is permanent or temporary damage to hearing caused by loud sound or repeated exposure to unsafe noise. It develops when delicate hair cells in the inner ear become injured. Common sources include industrial machinery, loud music, firearms, traffic, and personal audio devices played at high volume.
Ossicles are three tiny bones in the middle ear, called the malleus, incus, and stapes. These bones form a chain between the eardrum and the inner ear. Ossicles transmit and strengthen vibrations from sound waves, helping the cochlea convert mechanical movement into nerve signals that the brain recognises as sound.
Presbycusis is gradual, age-related sensorineural hearing loss caused mainly by changes in the inner ear and auditory nerve. It often reduces the ability to hear high-pitched sounds and understand speech in background noise. The condition usually affects both ears, develops over time, and may occur with tinnitus or reduced speech clarity.
Sensorineural Hearing Loss is reduced hearing caused by damage to the cochlea, inner-ear hair cells, or the auditory nerve. It commonly affects the ability to hear soft sounds and understand speech, especially in noise. Ageing, loud sound exposure, inherited conditions, infections, head injury, and some medicines can contribute to this type of permanent hearing loss.
Speech Perception is the brain’s ability to detect, recognise, and understand spoken language from sound signals. The process combines hearing with attention, memory, language knowledge, and context. Speech perception may be tested in quiet or background noise to assess how well a person understands words and sentences.
Tinnitus is the perception of sound without an external sound source. People may hear ringing, buzzing, hissing, clicking, or humming in one or both ears. Tinnitus can be temporary or persistent, and it may occur with hearing loss, earwax, infection, medicine effects, noise exposure, or other health conditions.
Vestibular System is the sensory system in the inner ear and brain that detects head movement, position and gravity. It helps maintain balance, stabilise vision during movement and coordinate posture. Signals from the semicircular canals, otolith organs, eyes, muscles and brain work together to support safe walking and spatial awareness.
