Hearing loss: finding the cause and the right treatment, in Hampshire
Hearing loss can be sudden or gradual, in one ear or both, and the right treatment depends entirely on the cause. Mr Vithlani assesses hearing loss at every age, from a child with glue ear to an adult considering a cochlear implant.
Consultant ENT Surgeon · GMC [number]
Hearing implant surgeon, USAIS
Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality [confirm]
At a glance
Who is it for?
Anyone with new, worsening or one-sided hearing loss, or a child whose hearing is not developing as expected
Tests
Hearing test (audiogram), tympanometry, microscope examination and CT or MRI where indicated
Treatment
Wax removal, infection treatment, ear-drum or hearing-bone surgery, hearing aids, or a hearing implant
Where
Nuffield Health Wessex Hospital · Tuesdays · alternate Thursday mornings · alternate Fridays
What you may notice
Turning the television up, asking people to repeat themselves, struggling in background noise, or a sudden muffled feeling in one ear. In children: not responding to their name, speech that is slow to develop, or listening with the mouth open.
How it is investigated
Examination
The ear canal and drum examined under the microscope; wax or infection dealt with at the same visit.
Hearing tests
A pure-tone audiogram and tympanometry show whether the problem is in the middle ear, the inner ear or the nerve.
Imaging
CT or MRI of the temporal bone where surgery or an implant is being considered.
How it is treated
Options are discussed from the simplest to the most involved, and the benefits, risks and alternatives explained before any decision.
- Microsuction for wax and treatment of infection
- Repair of a perforated ear drum (tympanoplasty) or the hearing bones (ossiculoplasty)
- Stapedotomy for otosclerosis
- Hearing aids, fitted and followed up by audiology
- Cochlear or bone-conduction hearing implants when aids are no longer enough
Why see an otologist?
Mr Vithlani is a consultant ear surgeon at University Hospital Southampton, the tertiary referral centre for ears and hearing, and a surgeon with the University of Southampton Auditory Implant Service. The same consultant assesses, treats and follows you up.
When to seek urgent help
Hearing loss that comes on over hours or days, especially in one ear, is sudden sensorineural hearing loss until proven otherwise. Treatment works best within 72 hours: call the clinic or NHS 111 the same day. Hearing loss with severe pain, fever, a swollen area behind the ear or facial weakness: A&E or 999.
Frequently asked questions
Will I need a hearing aid?
Not necessarily. Many causes of hearing loss are treatable; where a hearing aid is the right answer, audiology fits and follows it up.
Can hearing loss in one ear be treated?
Answer to follow: awaiting client copy.
Is it covered by insurance?
Answer to follow: awaiting client copy.
How quickly can I be seen?
Answer to follow: awaiting client copy.
Mr Rohan Vithlani
Consultant ENT Surgeon · Otology, hearing implants & children’s ENT · GMC [number]
At a glance
Typical first visit
Consultation, microscope examination and a hearing test
Urgent?
Sudden loss in one ear: same-day assessment
Related treatment
Hearing implants · tympanoplasty · stapedotomy
Self-pay fees
New consultation
From £[confirm]
Follow-up
From £[confirm]
Hearing test
£[confirm]
Fees are confirmed in writing when you book. Hearing tests, imaging and surgery are quoted separately by the hospital and agreed before anything goes ahead. Bupa, AXA Health, Aviva, Vitality and WPA recognised [insurers to confirm].
Get your hearing properly assessed
Consultation, microscope examination and a hearing test at Nuffield Health Wessex Hospital.
Sudden hearing loss in one ear is urgent and is best assessed within 72 hours: call the clinic or NHS 111 the same day. Severe ear pain with a high temperature, a red or swollen area behind the ear, sudden facial weakness or a head injury: go to A&E or call 999.