The sense of hearing is a complex one. The ears are divided into three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. While the outer ear sends the sound to the middle of the ear, the middle ear sends the same to the inner ear through the conductor. The inner ear in turn sends the auditory signal to the brain where the signal is processed and gives rise to a sense of hearing. 

Problems in hearings can arise if there is a problem in any of these parts. However, more often than not it is the middle or inner ear that is affected. However, there may also be situations when there are problems in both the middle and the inner ear. In that case, it is known as a mixed hearing loss. 

What is Mixed Hearing? 

Loss If there is damage to the middle ear, it may precipitate a conductive hearing loss. Now, in addition to that, if there is a sensorineural problem, then it gives rise to mixed hearing. So, in the case of a mixed hearing loss, all the parts of the ear and even the brain may be involved. There may be damage to the outer ear, middle ear, inner ear, as well as the auditory nerve. 

Causes of Hearing Loss 

Since mixed hearing loss may result from damage to any part of the ear, it is necessary that the causes be grouped into different categories. 

  Sensorineural Hearing Loss 

Sensorineural loss may result from drugs, different illnesses, head trauma, malformation of the inner ear etc. Genetic predisposition may also precipitate such problems. 

  Conductive Hearing Loss 

Such type of hearing loss may result from excessive deposition of earwax, ear infections, perforation in eardrums, malformation of the middle or outer ear, as well as problems with the fluid in the middle ear. 

Symptoms of Hearing Loss 

Reduced hearing in either or both ears is considered to be delineating symptoms of mixed hearing loss. 

Treatment 

Since mixed hearing loss can result from sensorineural failure as well as damage to outer or middle ear, treatment needs to be divided into different groups too.   To treat Conductive Hearing Loss, doctors can use surgical or medical options. 

  For sensorineural hearing loss, doctors usually prescribe hearing aids. This indicates that treatment for mixed hearing loss may include treatment for conductive hearing loss as well as that for sensorineural hearing loss. So, it is usually a combination of both medical and surgical options. Physicians may prescribe both medicines and hearing aids or resort to surgical interventions and also prescribe hearing aids. Sometimes, physicians use special hearing aids or implants to treat mixed hearing loss. 

Conclusion 

In case a person is sensing reduced hearing in one or both ears, he/she needs to seek medical advice. It may be a symptom of mixed hearing loss. Getting in touch with an experienced physician is the first step towards that.

Mixed Hearing Loss - How To Treat It?

Speech therapists are known by different names but most commonly, they are referred by people as speech therapists, who make children undertake different speech therapies to make them recover from their problem in talking or in their attempt to express their thoughts. These therapists work with children having a range of disorders and delays from minor articulation delays to more complex kind of disorders such as hearing impairment, motor speech disorders and other developmental delays.

We will now look at some of the ways through which speech therapy can help in the better development of a particular child:

Articulation skills and speech intelligibility: The physical ability to get the tongues, lips, jaws and palate moving in order to produce sounds of speech individually, which people call as phonemes. For instance, in order to articulate the /b/ sound, one needs to inhale, then at the time of exhaling, one has to turn their voice on by bringing the slightly tensed lips together to pause and build the airflow up, then finally release the airflow by getting the lips parted.

Intelligibility is all about how well people can understand a child s speech. A speech therapist can work along with the child to teach them on ways to produce particular speech sounds or certain patterns, he or she is having difficulty with, which in turn is affecting his overall speech intelligibility.

Expressive language skills: On one hand, where speech requires physical motor ability for talking, language refers to a symbol or a definite rule-governed system used for conveying a message. In the English language, the symbols could be in the form of words, either spoken or in written form. There are also certain symbols in the form of gestures like shrugging of shoulders to give the impression that he doesn t know a certain thing or a wave to indicate bye-bye or getting their eyebrows raised to indicate that one is surprised by an event or by hearing something.

So, basically expressive language is referred to something which a child says through signs and gestures. Speech therapists can let a child learn new words and teach them how to put the words together and hence form phrases and sentences, hence allowing them to communicate with others.

Receptive language or development of listening skills: Receptive language is nothing but a child s ability to listen and understand a particular language. Often, children tend to have stronger skills for receptive language than the skills required for expressive language. Hence, understanding becomes easier for them than their ability to express whatever they have understood. A speech therapist can help in teaching a child new words and the way they should be used to follow particular directions, reply to questions and thus take part in simple conversations with peers and other people.

Speech fluency: Speech fluency is affected by stuttering, which refers to the breaks in the flow of speech. This hampers one s ability to talk freely. Through speech therapy, a child can come across different strategies on how to control this behavioral pattern and lead to an increase in speech fluency.

How Speech Therapy Can Help Develop Your Child Better?

Choosing a career is a serious concern for students soon after completing 10th standard when one is required to make a choice of subjects for 11th grade. While still very young, many of us hardly know what is good for us and which field is best. For most of us, choosing a career is not a serious affair until 12th grade. However, once a student is done with 12th, he rethinks -  Did I make the right choice of subjects in class XIth?  I had always wanted to go in this field after school, but nobody guided me about subjects required for it in class XIth and XIIth. So, after completing school one feels very sad and frustrated that interest lay in A field but wasted 2 school years doing B-Field, a totally different course of study.

Therefore, when selecting subjects in XIth, it is very necessary to have a career goal in place keeping the market in mind. In addition to this, selecting the right education institution in XIth is equally important. Eg.  I am interested in Fine Arts but my school offers only Science and Commerce.  So, the child takes one of these only and loses track of what he wants, sowing the seeds for future distress in the field thrust upon him. Unfortunately, not many students are able to discover their potentials and interests at this stage and end up making wrong choices.

In this scenario, seeking the help of an experienced and qualified career counselor becomes absolutely necessary who can assist in discovering your potential and aptitude and accordingly suggest the right course. Career counselor usually employs testing of three factors   aptitude, interest and personality. These aspects help the counselors in deciding the right career path for a student. With an increase in the number of opportunities in the market, the importance of career counseling has also increased manifold. People have begun to realize the fact that not all can become engineers or doctors and started exploring other fields depending on their talent and interest in alternate domains.

Sound guidance will depend on the qualifications, training and experience of the professional. It is always a good idea to first know about the professional expertise of the counsellor/psychologist on whom you depend for making a life-long career choice. Generally speaking, school counsellors are post-graduates with about 9 months diploma in counselling and guidance with a focus on school children. They may or may not have done M.Phil, or Ph.D to qualify as a doctor. Similarly, anybody with just a graduation degree in Psychology can self-proclaim as a Counsellor/Psychologist and offer guidance and counselling, charging much less a fees. For any professional you choose, the higher the educational qualifications, more the number of practical trainings from reputed institutes, and the greater the professional experience, more dependable will be the advice given by them.

Vocational guidance for students and adults is one of the best ways to choose the right career path. With a plethora of career choices out there, sound career counselling plays a pivotal role in ensuring that right career choices are made. This is rewarding, considering that an individual can choose the right career path as per the strengths and talents he possesses. Right counselling not only helps the person to grow in the job quickly but gives ample room to learn in his desired field.

Here is a list of some major benefits of vocational guidance and career counselling:

Right assessment of weakness and strength: Career counselling is typically conducted by expert professionals with years of experience behind their back. They assess a candidate based on various aptitude tests. The test results rightly portray the strength and weaknesses of a candidate. This information plays a key role in determining the right career choice for a candidate. A person can ensure that he refrain from choosing a wrong career that leads to frustration and low work satisfaction.
Right goal setting leads to better choice: A counsellor can help a candidate choose the right goal and help him to outline the process of achieving it. Furthermore, an experienced counsellor can help a candidate lay down a plan to reach the goal. A step by step blueprint of reaching the goal in a realistic manner helps a candidate to achieve his dream career faster. With right goal setting, a person can attend career success over a very short period of time.
Explore various career choices: There are vast career choices that a person can explore that are available within the scope of a person s expertise. A career counsellor can throw light on these choices and help a person focus on the right option. This ensures that a person saves a lot of time and energy while figuring out the best possible career choice that is out there. This is particularly true in cases where a person is trying to make a mid-career switch. 
The right guidance and support: An experienced career counsellor can guide a candidate to get hold of the right set of skills and expertise that may be required to achieve a particular career. This ensures that a candidate is adequately prepared before the big opportunity knocks on the door. Right guidance not only cut down the preparation time, it increases the chances of success as well. 
Search Support: While the job search is on, a good counsellor can help a candidate prepare in terms of resume preparation, cover letter, video introduction etc. They can also help a candidate with the right kind of networking to land that dream job.
To conclude, the crux of career counselling is to get the necessary guidance from a qualified professional that would help the student/adult in making the right choice regarding his career. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a Psychologist.

Vocational Guidance & Career Counseling Benefits For Students & Adults

Uterine fibroids are referred to as benign, abnormal growths which tend to develop in the uterine walls of a woman. The size of such growths can range from a few centimeters to even excess of a few inches. As such, they can cause the uterus to increase to the size of a five month pregnancy. Although, the symptoms of fibroids are not always apparent, they often cause heavy bleeding and pain in women. A recent research concluded that around 60 to 75 percent women contract such fibroids by the age of 50, at least once in their life.

Depending on the site of formation, uterine fibroids are distinguished into different types. Intramural fibroids in the lining of the uterus and subserosal fibroids which develop outside the uterus are the most commonly observed fibroids.

What causes Uterine Fibroids?
Although, the exact reason for the formation of fibroids are obscure, medical professionals have determined certain factors that may affect their formation. Some of them are:
1) Hormones: Progesterone and estrogen, produced by the ovaries regenerate the uterine lining during each menstrual cycle and trigger the growth of fibroids.
2) Family history: If you have had a family history of uterine fibroids, then you&#x2019;re likely to develop the condition yourself as well.
3) Pregnancy: The production of progesterone and estrogen increases during pregnancy which increases the likelihood of fibroids.

What are the signs of the condition?
Depending on the location and size of the tumors, symptoms of such fibroids include:
1) Heavy bleeding and blood clots during periods
2) Pain in the pelvis
3) Frequent menstrual cramps
4) Pressure and pain in the lower abdomen
5) Swelling in the abdomen
6) Pain while intercourse

What is the procedure of the treatment?
Ultrasound and pelvic MRI are common diagnostic procedures to check for uterine fibroids. After diagnosis, depending on your age, size of the fibroid and your comprehensive health, the doctor would prescribe you with appropriate medications. Only after medications prove futile, doctors opt for minimally invasive surgeries.


Causes and Symptoms of Uterine Fibroids

Dental care is of utmost importance. Poor dental health can cause you several problems, from a mild toothache to severe pain. Here are 10 foods which will help you maintain your healthy teeth. Read on to find out more about it:

1.  Cheese: Cheese, particularly aged cheese like Cheddar, Swiss and such are beneficial for your teeth. They increase the pH scale in your mouth and effectively prevent tooth decay. It also consists of protein and calcium, nutrients required for strengthening your tooth enamel.

2.  Yogurt: Like cheese, yogurt also contains calcium and protein for tooth enamel. Probiotics or the beneficial bacteria present in yogurt are good for the gums as well.

3.  Leafy Vegetables:  Spinach and kale promote oral health. They contain calcium, which is good for your tooth enamel. They contain folic acid, a B vitamin which has a lot of health benefits and also helps to prevent gum disease.

4.  Apples: Apples contain high fiber and water, which are beneficial for your teeth. While eating an apple, a lot of saliva is produced which washes away the bacteria present in the mouth.

5.  Carrots: Carrots are also crunchy like apples and also contain high fiber which is beneficial for teeth. They also contain vitamin A which is also highly beneficial.

6.  Celery: Celery contains vitamins A and C which are very beneficial for the gums. They are also crunchy and hence help scraping away bacteria and food particles from your teeth.

7.  Almonds: Almonds are a great choice as they are low on sugar and have high content of calcium and protein.

8.  Strawberries: Strawberries are very beneficial for your teeth. Strawberries consist of vitamin C, different antioxidants and malic acid, which help in naturally whitening your teeth.

9.  Garlic: Garlic contains a substance called 'Allicin' which has strong anti-mycobacterial properties, and is thus beneficial for your teeth. It helps to prevent periodontal disease and fight tooth decay.

10.  Meat: Meat in general is beneficial for maintaining healthy teeth. Meats consist of a lot of protein, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients which are important for healthier teeth.

10 Foods for Healthy Teeth

Anger is a normal emotion. Children are as susceptible to anger as are adults. However, children may not understand how to deal with their anger properly. This can result in tantrums and violent behaviour. Telling a child not to get angry is not the solution to this problem. Instead, a child must be taught how to channelize his or her anger. Here are 5 tips that could help deal with aggressive behaviour.

Do not use physical punishments as a form of discipline: Children inculcate actions they see at home. While you may hit your child out of frustration when he or she does something wrong, the child may see this as an acceptable form of venting anger. Thus, hitting your child can indirectly reinforce a child s aggressive behaviour. Just as you do not expect your child to go about hitting other people, do not hit him yourself.
Develop a feeling vocabulary: A child s aggressive behaviour is usually the result of frustration at not being able to explain what he or she may be experiencing. Thus, encourage your child to develop a vocabulary to speak his mind. Teach them to use words like angry, frustrated, irritated and anxious. When your child says that he or she is angry, do not ignore him but encourage him to talk it out. You could also encourage them to find other creative outlets for their anger such as drawing and painting.
Praise good behaviour: All children seek appreciation. When your child deals with anger is a good way, praise him and reinforce the behaviour. This lets your child know that his behaviour is being noticed. Tell your child it is ok to be angry as long as it is dealt with in the right way.
Set firm limits: Children need limits to know what sort of behaviour is acceptable and what isn t. These limits should be kept very clear and consistent. The child s teachers and other caregivers should also be made aware of these rules along with the response to be given if the child breaks a rule. When a child does cross the limits set by you, they should be immediately reprimanded so that they understand their mistake.
Let your child cool off: It is no use trying to explain why something the child has done is wrong when they are in a state of anger. Instead, give them time to cool down by telling them to go to their room or sit down someplace. Once the child has cooled off, explain why his or her behaviour was wrong and discuss ways he or she could have dealt with the situation better. 

Aggressive Behaviour In Children - 5 Ways It Can Be Managed!

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