*"I beg your pardon" "Could you please repeat that" "I'm sorry, I can't hear what you're saying"*
Have you noticed that you've started using these phrases a lot more than you used to? Do you now feel the need to increase the volume of your TV from 30 to 50 because you can't hear your favourite daily soap or the cricket commentary? The above signs point to the fact that you're suffering from hearing loss, but chances are, you don't even know it. "Hearing loss is a hidden disability," says Dr Prashant Kamble, audiologist and speech therapist, Karnadhar Hearing and Speech Therapy Centre. "Most often it starts with a mild hearing impairment which gradually increases over time. People only begin to notice it when it has reached a moderate level and spoken speech becomes difficult to understand," he adds. Today, loud noise has almost become a part of daily life. From the sound of car horns on the road, the thundering local rushing past at the station, the fire crackers during the festive season, or the loud speakers that blare out at every wedding and festivity, we cannot help but subject our eardrums to constant torture. But then, we also supplement it by listening to the iPod on full blast or regularly partying at the local disco which belts out music at volumes beyond normal endurance. As a result, we end up with decreased hearing. However, all hearing loss is not caused due to loud noise. Says Dr Sandra DeSaSouza, head of the ENT department, Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, and consultant ENT surgeon at DeSa's, Breach Candy and Saifee Hospitals, "Congenital factors such as inherited genetic deafness and Rh incompatibility, frequent colds, wax, trauma, and infections of the middle ear are some other common causes of hearing loss in children, adults and the elderly." It is fortunate that the treatments available to treat hearing impairment are as varied as the causes, and depend vastly on the cause. "In case of ear infections leading to hearing impairment, medical or surgical treatment is required, for which it is advisable to visit an ENT surgeon. If the healing loss is age-related or gradual in nature, then a hearing aid, or a cochlear implant is the solution, for which a visit to an audiologist is best," elaborates Dr Kamble. "Grommet insertion for secretory otis media, tympanoplasty for chronic otis media, and stapedectomy for otoscelrosis are some of the common treatments available for hearing impairment caused due to ear infections," adds Dr DeSaSouza. Hearing impairment can be avoided to a certain degree if proper precautions are followed. The most obvious are avoiding loud sounds and music, bursting noisy firecrackers, and wearing protective devices if constantly exposed to loud sounds. Other precautions to be taken, especially on the medical front, are treating infections immediately, avoiding self-medication and ototoxic drugs, and in the case of pregnant women, being careful of Rh incompatibility and contraction infections such as measles. There is also not enough awareness regarding hearing loss. Says Dr DeSaSouza, "Some parents bring their children who have been deaf from birth almost two years later, simply because they were not aware of the condition." Dr Kamble feels that awareness about hearing loss and its causes have increased, but there is a need to increase further. He also advises everyone to get their hearing checked annually once they cross the age of forty. So the next time you schedule a health check-up or remember that all-important eye examination, remember to make an appointment with your audiologist as well and get your hearing checked. -- ~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~--- Connect your World with Us join Now - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dimpill_gang/join Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Adult Mails - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/fantazies/join Affiliated group from dimpill_gang for Only Health and Food Mails - http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Health_and_Gourmet/join -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~
