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

Using a hearing aid presents a number of advantages to a hearing impaired person. First and foremost, you will hear a lot better. Hearing aids do not restore your hearing to normal but they improve it significantly. It becomes easier to hear what other people say. Sounds you have not heard for a long time such as birds singing, door bell ringing, the howling of the wind and water running may become audible to you.

Hearing aid usually improves the user s social, psychological and physical sense of well being.

Study as well as experience shows that hearing aid generally improve the quality of life and will help you:

Get a better relationship with your family
Feel better about yourself
Get better mental health
Improve your physical well being
To concentrate better
Feel more independent and secure
Feel less tired or exhausted
Be more able to participate in social gathering
Be able to increase your social contact
Be able to do better in your job  
Hearing aid will help you to reduce tinnitus
Hearing aid will help you to avoid dementia by helping you to hear and improve cognitive functioning
As you start hearing through hearing aid, you will start socializing yourself and indirectly improve your quality of life.
Why you need to wear two hearing Aids?

Better understanding of speech
Better understanding in group and even in noisy situation
Better ability to tell the direction of the sound (Localization)
Better sound quality
Greater listening comfort
Hearing is less tiring and more pleasant
Keeping both ears active preserves speech understanding in both ears
Effective tinnitus masking
Better understanding of listening to radio and television
Speech will be clear

Advantages Of A Hearing Aid!

Blood in urine, medically known as Hematuria is not usually a cause of concern, but it can translate into an adverse condition if left unevaluated. The kidneys and other structures in the urinary tracts such as urethra (tube connecting the bladder to the outer part of the body); bladder (that stores the urine) and ureters (tube joining the bladder to the kidney) are the sources of blood flow to the urine. Hematuria can be accompanied by symptoms such as discharge of tea-colored, brownish-red or pink colored urine due to the presence of red blood cells, traces of which can only be detected under the microscope.

Underlying causes behind this disorder might be

Urinary tract infections is where the bacteria enter the body through the urethra and begin to proliferate in the bladder.
Kidney infections (pyelonephritis) is when bacteria infiltrate into the kidneys from the bloodstream or travel up from the uterus to the kidneys.
A kidney or a bladder stone is marked by the minerals in the concentrated urine precipitating out and molding into crystals that deposit on the bladder or kidney walls.
Enlarged prostate is a condition in which the prostate gland, that is situated just below the bladder surrounding the upper part of the urethra, starts growing as males head towards their middle age.
Kidney disease such as glomerulonephritis causes swelling of the kidneys, thus disrupting the filtering system.
Bladder, kidney and prostate cancer are also possible causes.
Hereditary disorders such as sickle cell anemia (a hereditary disease of the red blood cells in the hemoglobin) can also pose as a cause behind this disorder.
Kidney injury as a result of heavy blows, accidents or injuries sustained while playing a spot can also contribute to this condition.
Medications such as penicillin or the anti-cancer drug  cyclophosphamide 
Strenuous physical exercises like intense workout or running may also result in Hematuria.
Treatments
There is no fixed cure for Hematuria; instead the doctor would work on treating the repressed conditions behind the symptoms, such as prescribing antibiotics to heal the urinary tract infection or a medicine to shrink and normalize the enlarged prostate or administer a shock wave therapy to destroy the kidney or bladder stones.

Blood in Urine - 10 Causes Behind It

Care for shoulder pain and related problems

Shoulder problems usually happen because of internal problems or external trauma. People who are into any form of manual labour, pick up a lot of heavy things regularly or play sports experience shoulder pain at some point of time or other. Shoulder pain can be detected by physical examination, mri, x-ray, ultrasound and medical history.

The most common types of shoulder problems are arthritis, fracture, dislocation, frozen shoulder, rotator cuff tear, and rotator cuff disease. Cures for the different shoulder pains are different. Follow these simple ways to help you manage the pain.

1. Rest the hurtful shoulder: you need to take ample rest. Using the arm which is affected is not a good idea and needs to be avoided. If your job involves manual labour, it is advised that you stay at home to rest.

2. Ice pack healing: applying ice pack on the wound is also advised around 3-4 times in a day. This varies as per the kind of shoulder pain, so doctor's advice must be followed.

3. Be consistent with exercise: depending upon the source of pain, physiotherapist will advise certain sets of shoulder exercises. It is very important that they should be performed diligently for fast recovery.

4. Support it well: wearing a sling is extremely important and should not be taken lightly at any point of time. A good support will ensure there is no mislocation and faster recovery.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on consult.


Shoulder Pain Care - 4 things you must not ignore!

A deaf child is the one who suffers from hearing loss. Children with deafness may also fail to develop speech. Such children might have no defect in their speech but they cannot speak anything. The main reason is deafness. They do not hear a speech, therefore, cannot develop it. Deafness may not be hereditary, but it occurs due to several other causes. 

The period of 5 years is crucial in a child s life. During this period, they develop their speech and language. Therefore, parents need to take the utmost care for the early identification of hearing loss and treat the child accordingly. 

Causes of Deafness in Children

There are several causes of deafness in children.

Otitis Media: In young children, if the eustachian tube is not fully formed, it forms fluid behind the eardrum. This fluid can get infected and affect the hearing. The fluid may not cause any pain or infection but still, it can harm and cause hearing loss even if it stays for a short time. 

Problems by Birth: Some children have hearing problems by birth. Sometimes, the problem lies in the genes. But, other times during pregnancy or prenatal care, the problem arises. If a mother, while pregnancy, has diabetes or preeclampsia, she is likely to deliver a deaf child. A prematurely born baby also has a high risk of deafness.

Illness or Injury: Some young children suffer hearing loss due to some injury in the ear or some other illness. Illness includes meningitis, measles, chickenpox, and flu. Head injury or listening to loud music for a long time can also be a reason.

Symptoms of a Deaf Child

A deaf child shows no reaction to the loud noises.

He/she doesn t respond to the voices.

The sound of the child is simple that taper off.

The child may pull or rub the ear several times, which is noticeable.

The child is continuously cranky for no particular reason.

He/she does not pay any attention when anyone is talking.

He/she has very little energy to do anything. 

He/she fails to understand the direction.

Often asks to raise the volume of TV or radio.

Have fever and ear pain.

Treatment of the Problem

Hearing loss affects a child s learning ability. So, the problem must be diagnosed and treated immediately. Here are some treatment approaches: 

Treatment for Otitis Media: The very first thing parents and doctors can do is watchful waiting because sometimes the problem cures itself. Some pediatricians might prescribe some antibiotics. If the problems continue, then the doctor will suggest getting an ear tube to the child that will allow the fluid to drain. For this, the child will have to visit an ENT doctor also called Otolaryngologist. 

Treatment for other causes: The child may use a hearing aid. Some can get cochlear implants. 

Conclusion
It is necessary for parents to accept the child with deformity and stay by his/her side. They must get themselves educated and communicate the problem with others to get help. It is essential to stay in touch with the child and take care of him.

Deaf Child - What Should You Know?

Just like there are exercises to lose weight, there are simple exercises, which you can do to stop your snoring completely. Snoring is a common condition and it generally takes place more in men than women. It mostly affects individuals who are overweight and the condition gets worsened with age. Though it is not a serious condition, it has to be dealt as it affects the sleep of your sleeping partner. The main cause of snoring is an improper flow of air through the mouth or nose. 

The airflow to the nose is obstructed by factors like:
1. Obesity
2. Pregnancy
3. Genetic factors
4. Sinus Infection
5. Congestion

How to Prevent Snoring
It is very essential that prior attention is given to this condition before it turns out to be a serious problem. The self help  tips that can be used by individuals to stop snoring include proper exercising, losing weight, quitting smoking and not drinking alcohol as well as setting up an ideal sleeping pattern. There are devices available in the pharmaceutical stores like the mouth guard device which are specially designed to help stop snoring. There are medications also available that help to stop snoring and have good quality  sleep.

Amazing and Simple Exercises to Stop Snoring
You can cure your snoring problem easily by practicing vocal exercises without the need of even going through a painful and expensive surgery.

1. Singing: Singing is an excellent exercise that is very good for your vocal passage and that can cure the snoring problem. It is best that you start singing in a warm shower and the moist steam of the warm water would soothe your throat. The benefit of singing is that it tightens the muscles and it is an excellent and natural way that would cure your sleeping problem. You can practice singing at least 20 minutes in a day, and you would surely experience the difference.

2. Yawning: The second simple exercise that can be done to stop snoring is yawning, which involves opening and closing of your mouth. The exercise done in a yawning motion would strengthen both the inner and outer neck muscles. It is very necessary that the mouth is opened widely, and this activity can be done anytime of the day.

3. Chewing: The third exercise that is helpful to get relief from sleep disorders is chewing. You can fix your throat by chewing the tip of a pencil.  You don't have to bite the pencil, and you just need to fix your throat muscles to make certain that your airway is clear.

Stop Snoring With 3 Best and Simple Exercises

Don't wait any longer, manage your Hematologist online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Hematologist - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES