The etiology of sensorineural hearing loss is multifactorial which makes the diagnosis a challenging exercise and often an unsolved mystery. Whilst pure tone audiometry is a mandatory investigation, others such as laboratory and radiology are based on clinical evaluation. This paper puts forward a protocol for the investigation for sensorineural hearing loss.

There are several causes of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), in some of which imaging plays an important role for diagnosis and further management. We present an elaborate imaging based pictorial depiction of the various findings in these cases mainly based on CT and MRI imaging.

BAHA is a surgically implantable system for treatment of hearing loss in patients wherein conventional hearing aids are unable to provide benefit. e.g. patients with microtia, chronic ear discharge or single sided hearing loss.

The treatment of bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss has been revolutionized over the past few decades by the development of cochlear implant technology. This review discusses the history, working of a cochlear implant, candidacy criteria for cochlear implant, surgical procedure and postoperative therapy.

Hearing aids are the principal means of auditory rehabilitation for patients with moderate to severe sensori-neural hearing loss. Although technical improvements and modifications have improved the fidelity of conventional aids, hearing aids still have many limitations including the inherent self consciousness and social stigma attached to visible hearing aids. The recently introduced totally implantable hearing aids offer patients with hearing loss several potential advantages over conventional hearing aids. This article reviews the indications, surgical procedure, advantages and the current status of totally implantable hearing devices.

Till about 15 years ago, the only choice of hearing improvement for moderate sensorineural hearing loss with severe speech discrimination defect was a hearing aid. It was only after Mr. Geoff Ball, an electronic engineer who was suffering from a similar defect, started thinking of an alternative to the conventional hearing aid that the Vibrant Soundbridge came into existence, and with the passage of time the indications for the use of the same have increased.

Auditory brainstem implants (ABIs) are currently indicated for patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF-2) tumors involving both vestibulocochlear nerves. The ABI helps bypass the damaged cochlear nerves and stimulates the cochlear nucleus in the brainstem directly thereby restoring auditory sensation. The implant is usually placed in the lateral recess of the fourth ventricle after tumor resection. The indications for ABI have recently expanded onto even nontumoral cases, such as congenital bilateral cochlear nerve aplasia. In such cases, the ABI helps bypass the nonfunctioning hypoplastic or absent cochlear nerves and stimulates the cochlear nucleus directly thereby restoring auditory sensation. This article reviews the nuances of this sophisticated implant, shares our experience with auditory brainstem implantation and its current status in world literature.

Hearing impairment leaves a wide ranging impact on young children and their parents. Early identification and intervention is crucial to a child's development of speech and language. Today, with advanced technology development, we can work from a developmental prospective rather than remedial and corrective. This approach is called auditory verbal therapy (AVT). The aim of this approach is to develop spoken language. So that children can become independent, participating and contributing citizens of mainstream society. Parents play a significance role in individualized auditory verbal therapy as parents and family members are the best people to develop spoken language in the natural listening environment at home. Auditory verbal therapy is an applied science. Objectively measured goals in the areas of audition, speech, language and cognition are set and achieved in individualized sessions with parents as partners in therapy.