HAVING worked in a rehabilitation setting I have learnt the high volumes of people that need Audiology services. Therefore, I reached out to my colleague and Audiologist Humaira Mohamed to help me come up with this week’s issue on hearing loss.
Children and adults with hearing loss hear parts of sounds as opposed to those with normal hearing and hear everything clearly.
Common signs of a hearing loss in children:
Every parent/ guardian should be the voice of their children. Unfortunately, in most cases many children are left undiagnosed for a very long time till they start talking. Here are a few signs to look out for in your children:
Child does not react to loud noises
Child does not respond to mum’s voice
Child does not enjoy toys that make a sound
Child does not imitate simple sounds or words
Child does not turn to his name when called
A child with Otitis media (A common ear infection in children) may also:
Pull or rub an ear
Be constantly irritable for no clear reason
Stop paying attention and have little energy
Not understand directions
Often ask for the TV or radio to be louder
Have a fever
Have ear pain
NB: The classroom teacher may be the first to detect behaviours associated with a hearing loss for children at school or crèche. Common signs include:
Lack of attention during classroom discussion
Non-compliant behaviour
Tendency to be withdrawn or isolated
Ask for frequent repetitions of what has been said
Problems in speech, language, reading and writing
Common signs of hearing loss in adults:
Unfortunately, with age comes alot of chronic conditions that lead to a hearing loss. Again here are a few signs to look out for.
You can hear people talking about you but cannot understand what they are saying
You have difficulty hearing what is being said on TV and have to turn up the volume higher than others prefer.
People must be facing you to understand what they are saying
You feel that others do not pronounce their words properly
You find yourself frequently asking for repetitions when people speak to you
You find yourself guessing what others have said
I advice that as soon as you or anyone you know starts suffering from many of the above mentioned symptoms they should seek help immediately. Hearing loss can lead to many other complications hence its an emergency.
They are the most commonly involved communication disorder specialists. In such situations audiologists test hearing, fit hearing aids and help patients improve their communication skills. Again, speech and language therapists work closely with Audiologists. Their job is to provide treatment for speech and language impairments secondary to hearing loss.
For more information about hearing loss or Audiology services please kindly email me at [email protected]
“Take care of your busy body, you owe that to your family.”
Lee-Anne Hall
BSc Physiotherapy
