Auditory Processing Disorder:

Anything that our eyes cannot see, the ears can! Our visual is restricted to what is in front of us with a little bit of peripheral vision. But beyond that, hearing helps us absorb more than we can take in. When all the other senses are at rest, hearing is always alert. It is most helpful during the night as we wake up startled at the tiniest of sounds. However, as we grow older, our hearing slowly declines. Sometimes, we even do a precautionary evaluation in a Hearing aid centre in Chennai.

It is not mandatory to go for a consultation every time you feel clogginess in your ears. The reason may be as simple as the change in the weather. But, on a serious note, some disorders that may affect our hearing. 

One such disorder is called Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). In this post, let us discover why and how you can treat this ailment.

What is Auditory Processing Disorder? 

APD is not a hearing loss but a condition in which the person would have trouble processing the words he/she listens. It is because the brain cannot translate the signals received into clear sounds that we hear. Hearing does not happen in the ears but through it. Our ears act as a medium through which the brain can exchange signals from the outside world and convert them. 

Whenever we hear a sound, the vibrations hit the inner ear. Here, all the cells help transfer the sounds to the brain through the auditory nerve. The brain processes this signal and later converts it. APD affects this final stage before conversion. 

This disorder can affect a person at any point of time during his lifetime. A consultation with an Audiologist in Chennai could help identify if it is APD and take further action if the diagnosis is correct. 

Symptoms of Auditory Processing Disorder 

The following are the common signs of APD:

• You may feel difficulty in identifying separate sounds if there are multiple speakers present. You would have trouble focusing on the speech due to reduced capacity in blurring out the background noise. If it is not a case of APD, you may get a hearing aid to solve it. The Hearing aid price in Chennai is affordable and hence you may not have any trouble getting one if the need arises. 
• Telephone conversations can be hard to get through.
• You may hear something different than what is said to you.
• You might have to ask what the other person just said.
• There may be trouble in identifying the origin of the sound.
• It can be difficult to pull out multiple sounds from different directions.

But, it may not point to a loss of hearing—which can still be normal—because the problem is about the processing. 

Tests performed 

The audiologist will perform any or all of these tests to confirm his/her diagnosis.

• Tests will be done to deduct whether it is a cause of hearing loss or APD. If it is the former, the audiologist would direct you to the best Siemens hearing aid dealers in Chennai or proceed further.
• The audiologist might stimulate background noises, speak fast, or play multiple sounds to identify whether you can distinguish them.
• Your capacity to detect patterns and shifts in the sounds will be put to the test.

Once diagnosed, the audiologist will provide auditory training to improve listening and would suggest changes in your environment to enable it.