Overview of Audiology

Dedicated to using science & technology to improve quality of life

Audiology is the healthcare science of hearing and balance disorders, the primary aim of which is help people overcome the barriers placed in their way as a consequence of hearing or balance problems.

Audiology is a clinical speciality, allied to medicine, that combines science and state-of-the art technology to help improve the quality of life of people with hearing or balance problems, as well as their families and carers. Audiologists mostly work on the "coal face" of healthcare, working with people every day in a variety of settings. It is exciting, challenging, exhilarating and rewarding. Find out more about the structure of the profession and pre-registration training.

In a nutshell, audiologists identify and assess hearing and balance disorders, and provide appropriate rehabilitation and management. They are responsible for their own case loads (i.e. are autonomous professionals) and work within a multidisciplinary team of professionals. Continuity of care is important in audiology, and audiologists work closely with patients and their families over weeks and even years. Find out more about the variety of areas in which audiologists work.

Career progression in audiology has never been better, and you could work your way up to consultant level. Find out more about the opportunities for career development.

Is audiology suited to me?

  • Are you a good listener and can you communicate with people of all ages, backgrounds, faculties and experiences?
  • Are you a good problem solver? Do you approach problems logically and are you determined to find solutions to even the most slippery of challenges?
  • Are you enthusiastic about science? Are you turned on by the idea of using knowledge from a variety of disciplines of science, as well as state-of-the-art technology, to make a difference to people's lives?
  • Do you want to see the impact of your efforts with your own eyes? Do you want to develop relationships with patients and their families over weeks to even years time?

If the answer to these questions is YES, audiology might be your calling in life! Find out more.

The scale of the problem

It has recently been estimated that approximately 56 million people in the European Union (EU) have a permanent hearing loss. That's about 1 in 6 people. Breaking it down by age, about one-third of sixty year olds have a clinically significant permanent hearing loss, rising to about two-thirds of seventy hearing olds. In fact, our hearing is on the decline from about 30 years of age. With the increase in the volume of the world over the past decade (particularly with recreational activities), more twenty- and thirty-year-olds are experiencing permanent hearing loss than ever before.

Approximately 100,000 children in the UK have a permanent hearing loss. This does not include the 100s of thousands more that experience temporary hearing loss every year. Did you have hearing problems as a child? Perhaps you even had grommets. In fact, most children have a significant temporary hearing loss at some point, largely caused by glue ear.

It has also recently been estimated that inadequately addressing the needs of hearing impaired people costs the EU approximately 170 billion Euros every year.

Most people are familiar with, or can begin to imagine, the obvious communication problems that hearing loss might cause. What is less well known is that the vast majority of forms of hearing loss lead to complex problems with hearing. The equivalent of spectacles for short-sightedness does not work. Most people have considerable difficulty separating speech from background noise even if the speech is loud enough on its own. This problem, and other challenges for hearing impaired people, calls for sophisticated technological solutions, supported by sound advice and customised, empathetic rehabilitation.

Many tens of millions of people in the EU also suffer from ringing or whistling in the ears ,called tinnitus, which might require specialised management. Approximately 1 in 6 visits to general practioners (GPs) in the UK involve dizziness, which often has an origin in the inner ear. Audiologists always work with people with tinnitus and balance problems.

The magnitude of the problem is clear. This has helped motivate recent and exciting developments in audiology, such as the launch of the NHS-funded BSc Audiology programmes in 2002. It also means that job prospects are excellent in audiology in the UK and the EU.

There has never been a better time to embark on a career in audiology.