Hearing allows you to interact with the world around you. Helen Keller said it best: ‘Loss of vision means losing contact with things, but loss of hearing means losing contact with people.’There are numerous causes for a hearing loss, such as disease or infection, ototoxic (ear-damaging) drugs, exposure to noise, tumours, trauma, and the aging process. Unfortunately we can’t do anything about most of the causes, but we can protect our ears against loud noise.
We live in a noisy world. Noise may come from our work (factories/mills/heavy machinery) or from voluntary exposure to noise, such as guns(hunting), noisy motors or loud music (rock concerts or on stereos). Also the increasing use of portable MP3 players are causing hearing damage.
- · If you have to shout to be heard above the noise
- · If you can’t understand someone who is speaking to you from less than 2m away.
- · Speech around you sounds muffled or dull after leaving a noise area
- · You have pain or ringing in your ears (tinnitus) after exposure to noise
The most common cause for a hearing loss in children is middle ear infection. Although it is only a temporary hearing loss, it means that the child is not able to hear sounds clearly during this time. This can lead to other problems later in life (e.g. speech-, reading-, and spelling problems). Middle ear infection is a common problem that usually occurs together with respiratory problems. If the child is not seen by a doctor, the middle ear infection often goes undetected because it can’t be seen by the parents.
When to suspect middle ear infection:
- · Pulling on the ear
- · Crying more than usual
- · Difficulty sleeping
- · Drainage from the ear (infection/blood)
- · Problems with hearing or balance
- · Unexplained fever
Because of all the noise in our world, our hearing ability worsens from our 20s onwards and when we reach our 70s, more than half of us suffer from significant hearing loss. There are different degrees of hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. If you suspect a hearing loss it is important to have a hearing test done (Audiologist) and protect what is left of your hearing. If you suspect your child to have middle ear infection it is important to consult with a doctor who will confirm and manage the infection or refer you to an Audiologist or Ear-nose-and throat specialist.
Hearing is precious. By taking action as soon as possible, you can lessen the frustration and improve the ease of communication and quality of life for you, your family, friends and colleagues.
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