A cochlear implant is an electronic device that is used to restore hearing ability in people who suffer from hearing loss due to inner ear damage. Unlike hearing aids which amplify sounds so people with hearing loss are better able to perceive them, cochlear implants directly transmit electronic sound signals to the auditory nerve. They work by compensating for damaged cochlea, the part of inner ear that converts sound waves into neural impulses which are perceived by the brain. 

A child who cannot hear will also never be able to speak. 
Inability to hear and speak puts a person at disadvantage in society. 
Simple tasks like talking on the phone which we take for granted become impossible. 
Conventional methods of learning like attending a classroom lecture become impossible. 
Brain development and intelligence is closely linked to development of speech and language. 
Inability of parents to communicate with child leads to emotional distancing. 
Integrating a hearing disabled person in to society becomes a frustrating experience for all involved. 
Cost of integration per capita in much higher when compared to cost of Cochlear Implant. 
Children with Cochlear Implants are fully integrated in society with normal hearing & speech. 
Children with Cochlear Implants can attend regular schools & colleges 
Early identification of hearing impairment gives children a better chance of developing speech and language skills, and of making the most of social and emotional interaction from an early age. 
Cochlear implants offer a multitude of benefits to people experiencing hearing loss, especially infants and children with severe hearing loss who are just starting to process language and speech. Some of these benefits are: 

Hearing and communication   Cochlear implants improve hearing significantly, especially to a level where normal communication can be restored. It enhances the person s ability to hear speech without relying on visual cues such as lip reading or hand signs. It makes telephonic conversation a lot easier. Cochlear implants also help people regulate their own voice and volume so that it is easier for others to understand them. 
Quality of life - It can help people with hearing loss listen to and enjoy music and also watch television with sounds. It helps people listen to sounds in a noisy environment and differentiate soft sounds from loud ones. 
Safety   Cochlear implants enhance the individual s safety as it allows the person to be able to hear warning sounds like honking cars or ambulance sirens. This will allow people to navigate public spaces in a much safer way. 
Society - For children with hearing loss, cochlear implants can help them adjust a lot better to regular schools instead of requiring special institutions. 
Brain development - It can help infants with cochlear damage develop their speech recognition and speaking skills much faster. 
Cochlear implants 

Only device of its kind that can restore a special sense.
Consists of 2 parts-
One part is surgically implanted in the body 
Second part is worn behind the ear and communicates with internal part using wireless signals 
Persons of any age can get a cochlear implant, from less than one year old children to 90 year old persons have received implants all around the world. 
Cochlear implants can be done for partial hearing loss also, know as Hybrid implant that preserves the residual natural hearing and augments hearing only in certain sound frequencies in which hearing loss is present. 
Are being used for indications other than hearing loss also like Tinnitus. 
Surgery is a day care procedure for most patients. 
Consult a doctor to get a clear assessment of whether you would be an eligible candidate for a cochlear implant and what to expect from the procedure.

Cochlear Implant - The Many Benefits Of It

When it comes to speech, every child has a different pace of learning. In the first year, they should be able to recognize and respond to their own names and simple directions like  come , etc. By a child s second birthday, he or she should be able to use a single word or two-word phrases and understand simple questions. If a child s speech development seems atypical for his or her age, you may need to consult a speech therapist. Some of the things you should look out for are:

Mispronouncing vowels: Many children have problems with pronunciation. Pronouncing  bath  as  baf  or  animal  as  amal  is normal. However, if they cannot pronounce vowels correctly, they may be having problems with articulation. For example, your child might say  coo  instead of  cow .
Using only single words: Part of a speech therapist s job is to teach a child to join words together to create phrases and sentences. If even after your child s second birthday, they still prefer using single words instead of phrases, you should consult a speech therapist. For example, they may just say  water  instead of  i want water .
Stuttering: Many children are shy and hesitant of speaking especially in front of strangers. However, stuttering is a more serious problem. This could be in the form of repeating syllables or prolonging words. For example,  s-s-s-s-s-stop  or  mmmmmm me . If this is not nipped in the bud, it could continue into the child s adult life as well.
Answering a question by repeating part of it: By the age of three years, a child should be able to understand and answer simple questions. If the child answers a question by repeating part of it, such as answering  do you want food  with  you want food , it could be a sign of a bigger problem. This is known as echolalia and might be an early symptom of autism.
Limited vocabulary: Each child s vocabulary grows at a different rate but it is important to be able to notice an increase in the child s vocabulary from month to month. If the child uses only a finite set of words and does not catch on to new words, you may need a speech therapist. They can help the child expand their vocabulary and become more receptive to new words.
Other factors you should watch out for include difficulty with pronouns, not being able to follow instructions and understand prepositions and confusion with gender.

When Does My Child Need Speech Therapy?

Lower abdomen pain can originate from a range of medical issues. In some cases, the pain disappears just like the way it came, in some cases, it takes longer medical treatment to cure the pain. Once the origin and the root cause of the pain are diagnosed, there are plenty of medical options to cure the pain. In this piece, we will briefly touch upon the causes of lower abdomen pain:

Appendicitis: This is one of the most common causes of lower abdomen pain. It typically originates from the right side of the stomach and soon diverges into the other side as well. The pain can become unbearable in a matter of hours.
Pelvic inflammatory disease: This is an infection that is caused in the reproductive system of a woman. This is often characterized by vaginal discharge, fever, weakness, intercourse related pain and pain in the lower abdomen.
Miscarriage: In case there is a loss of fetus on or before the twentieth week, the mishap is termed as miscarriage. It results in acute pain in the lower abdomen pain, vaginal bleeding, back pain, fluid expulsion from the vagina etc.
Fibroids: This is a growth in the uterus that is often non-cancerous and is commonly characterized by symptoms such as heavy periods, constipation, pain in the legs and back area, pain in the lower abdomen area, frequent urination etc.
Cancer: A cancerous growth in the lower abdomen area can lead to very sharp pain in the back and surrounding area. The pain is dull in nature and slowly spreads to other areas in a short interval of time.
Cholecystitis: This is a disorder that results in swelling of the gallbladder area. It results in a sharp pain in the lower abdomen area. A doctor needs to be immediately consulted if a person is suffering from this disease.
Intestinal obstruction: When the lower bowl gets blocked due to the contents of the lower intestine, a person can feel a sharp pain in the lower abdomen area.
Salpingitis: When a woman faces stiff pain in the lower abdomen area due to an inflammation of the fallopian tube, Salpingitis is the culprit behind it. This is a sexual disease and needs a doctor s consultation to get rid of it.
PMS: A woman can face throbbing pain in the lower abdomen area during her monthly periods. Other symptoms include cramps, weakness, fatigue etc.
Endometriosis: When there is an extension of the uterus tissue just outside the wall of the uterus, it leads to symptoms such as lower abdomen pain, cramps etc.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome: This is a disorder of the hormone and can lead to symptoms such as heavy periods, a growth of facial hair accompanied with sharp pain the lower abdomen area.

Pain In Lower Abdomen - What Could Be The Causes?

The human body with its multiple organs is a highly complicated structure and one or more organs often malfunction for various reasons. However, for some, no reasons are identified for this problem. One such is irritable bowel syndrome or IBS as it is commonly referred to.

It is a common disorder affecting the large intestine leading to alternate bouts of diarrhea and constipation, abdominal cramps and a feeling of fullness. It is common in people younger than 45 years of age, affects women more than men, and though the exact reason is not known, the following are attributed.

Physical/Physiologic reasons:

1. Signal issues between the brain and intestines: For various or even unknown reasons, the brain may not be able to send the right signal to the stomach to process food, making the stomach to be hyperactive and have an increased sense of pain or sensitivity or discomfort. Neurotransmitters, which are chemicals responsible for sending signals to various organs also could be involved.

2. Hormonal connection: Menstrual periods tend to aggravate symptoms of IBS, while postmenopausal women are largely free of IBS symptoms.

3. Genetics: People with a family history of IBS are more likely to develop IBS too.

4. Aggravating foods: Foods rich in carbohydrates, spicy foods, fatty foods, caffeine and alcohol aggravate IBS symptoms. Ability to absorb sugar could be a cause too.

5. Infections: Some people with IBS have certain bacteria identified in their gut which produces excessive gas and this could lead to altered bowel movements.

6. GI Motility Issues: Alterations in the way the food passes through the stomach can lead to either constipation (slow movement) or diarrhea (quicker movement). There could also be spasms and contractions after eating, especially if the stress levels are high.

7. Psychological issues: Panic disorder, anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder are common in IBS patients. It is possible that they are not able to express their psychological stress, it manifests as physical symptoms. Stress increases symptoms of IBS and vice versa.

Management:

1. Manage stress: Meditation, yoga, support groups, medication and even hypnosis in severely stressed people helps control stress, providing great relief in IBS symptoms.

2. Lifestyle changes: Reduce alcohol and smoking

3. Dietary changes: Avoid aggravating foods, increase the amount of fiber if you have diarrhea and space out meals to avoid intestinal overload

4. Herbal remedies: Probiotics, peppermint oil and a variety of herbal medicines are available.

5. Symptomatic medications: Based on presenting symptoms, different medications including antibiotics for infections and motility drugs can be used. Anti anxiety and antidepressants are also prescribed to manage the psychological issues.

In terms of causes, symptoms, or treatment, IBS requires a very individualized approach and your doctor is the right person to discuss this with and decide.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome - Symptoms and Management

Children should be brought up with utmost care. A child should not be your centre of attraction only because it is incapable to fend for itself, but also because it is not half as aware as you are or could be about its problems. Parents punish their children for the slightest of their mistakes; they at times even threaten children to bring home a lesson. Patience and observation are two key things in good parenting. The foibles of your child might indicate at an underlying medical condition. Instead of fixating over the mistakes try and locate the root cause. Early diagnosis of autism can save your child from a bleak future.

The following are a few symptoms of autism in children:

Social interaction is a huge challenge: Children suffering from autism are usually noticed to live in a world of their own. They hardly listen to people around them or hardly talk. The presence of many people can scare them or make them conscious. When spoken to, they look away. They do not feel comfortable in revealing their joys or fears. Autistic children like to play alone; they are not interested in group activities with friends.
Difficulties in communicating their needs: Communication is the biggest problem autistic children seem to face regularly. They are not able to express their needs and emotions. If they are hungry they might scream or break things but not ask for food. They even fail to comprehend instructions and seem confounded by simple situations. Their speech could comprise of mumbling. Autism in children could make them develop a condition popularly known as echolalia under the effect of which they mouth words without knowing their meanings in an extremely strange tone.
An obsessive, repetitive behavior: Children with autism could be persistent in some of their actions. Their body gestures could be repetitive; for instance, they can continue flapping their arms for hours together. Children in certain cases are also very particular about routine. Quite strikingly, objects affect them and they might scrutinize an object meticulously.
Sensory problems: Light sound and touch can have a huge impact on children suffering from autism. Patches of light and shade intrigue them whereas high pitched sounds could depress or intimidate them. They usually prefer deep pressure touch and might not respond to anything else.

Autism in Children: Prevalent Symptoms

Rhinitis is an irritable medical condition where the mucous lining of a person's nose swells up. The term is more of a category and less of a definitive way to describe something specific. Rhinitis involves a host of other conditions that affect the mucous membranes of your nose. If you were not aware, common cold is also a kind of rhinitis. Rhinitis can cause acute touchiness in the inner lining of the nose leading to continuous discharges from one's nose. It can also lead to clogging of your nose or inflammation of the internal tissues. 

Rhinitis can be divided under two main types; allergic and non- allergic rhinitis. Allergic rhinitis, popularly known as hay fever is caused due to contact with allergens that are usually undamaging. However, in case of non- allergic rhinitis the symptoms take after that of the allergic type but no particular causal factor can be identified.

Factors that can increase your propensity to suffer from rhinitis of any kind are:-

Pollen from flowers
Inhaling certain substances can be harmful; smell of certain chemicals is bad too.
Both active as well as passive smoking can be detrimental
High levels of air pollution contributes to the risk
Weather conditions affect your health; a windy yet humid weather can aggravate rhinitis.
Common symptoms of rhinitis can be listed as below:-

A person suffering from this condition might catch a cold all of a sudden.
People, usually little children, might even face high fevers.
Your nose tends to be runny. After the infection subsides, chances of a thick, sticky discharge are more.
Exhaustion is also felt in combination with headaches and teary eyes.
The nature of your nasal discharge tells the doctor if you are suffering from an allergy or from a viral infection.
A few preventive measures to aid you against rhinitis:-

Rhinitis can be communicable and in most cases it is so. Therefore a person should not share his or her utensils and other personal things such as towels or handkerchiefs with any other person.
One should not be in close proximity of another infected person.
Hands are the most common sources of infection. One must wash his or her unclean hands before touching the face.


All about Rhinitis

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