Astha Speech And Hearing Care

While most noise is just in the background for us, loud noises, either in small spurts or prolonged exposure, can cause hearing loss. This has been happening more frequently as the levels of noise in an industrialized society go further up.

Noise induced hearing loss explained
Loud noises may damage the sensitive structure of your ear, which process the sound waves into information. They eventually become nonfunctional, resulting in a loss of hearing in that range. If exposure to loud noises continues, then this might extend to the entire range of hearing and may cause total hearing loss.

What may cause noise induced hearing loss?
Some of the scenarios which may cause noise induced hearing loss are as follows:
1. Listening to music on high volume: If you constantly listen to music or watch movies at your home on very loud levels, then it may result in noise induced hearing loss. In fact, listening to music or watching movies with headphones in your ears is one of the leading causes for hearing loss. Headphones have deceptively loud levels and may result in damaged hearing overtime.

2. Noise of household tools: Household tools such as drills, mixers, grinders, mowers, and saws can expose you to loud levels of noise. Even a quick exposure for a few seconds could temporarily damage your hearing. 

3. Occupational problems: Occupations such as construction, factory work and military that require the use of power tools on a constant basis can also cause hearing loss. The sound from the resulting friction might damage your hearing very quickly. Explosions and impacts are also causes of hearing loss in the military and law enforcement departments.

Prevention and treatment
Treatment: It is difficult to treat hearing loss as in most cases; it may be permanent, except sudden shocks, when your hearing might come back to normal. The only treatments for hearing loss are hearing aids or cochlear implants which can restore hearing partially.

Prevention: Prevention is the best method to avoid hearing loss and in most cases, you should wear ear protection such as mufflers or sound level reduction devices to protect your hearing. Also, practice listening to music, watching TV or movies at lower levels, especially if you are on the headphones.  In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

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. 

1. A child who cannot hear will also never be able to speak. 
2. Inability to hear and speak puts a person at disadvantage in society. 
3. Simple tasks like talking on the phone which we take for granted become impossible. 
4. Conventional methods of learning like attending a classroom lecture become impossible. 
5. Brain development and intelligence is closely linked to development of speech and language. 
6. Inability of parents to communicate with child leads to emotional distancing. 
7. Integrating a hearing disabled person in to society becomes a frustrating experience for all involved. 
8. Cost of integration per capita in much higher when compared to cost of Cochlear Implant. 
9. Children with Cochlear Implants are fully integrated in society with normal hearing & speech. 
10. Children with Cochlear Implants can attend regular schools & colleges 
11. 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: 

1. 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. 
2. 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. 
3. 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. 
4. Society - For children with hearing loss, cochlear implants can help them adjust a lot better to regular schools instead of requiring special institutions. 
5. Brain development - It can help infants with cochlear damage develop their speech recognition and speaking skills much faster. 

Cochlear implants 

1. Only device of its kind that can restore a special sense.
2. 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 
3. 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. 
4. 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. 
5. Are being used for indications other than hearing loss also like Tinnitus. 
6. Surgery is a day care procedure for most patients. 

CochlearConsult 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. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!

While most noise is just in the background for us, loud noises, either in small spurts or prolonged exposure, can cause hearing loss. This has been happening more frequently as the levels of noise in an industrialized society go further up.

Noise induced hearing loss explained
Loud noises may damage the sensitive structure of your ear, which process the sound waves into information. They eventually become nonfunctional, resulting in a loss of hearing in that range. If exposure to loud noises continues, then this might extend to the entire range of hearing and may cause total hearing loss.

What may cause noise induced hearing loss?
Some of the scenarios which may cause noise induced hearing loss are as follows:
1. Listening to music on high volume: If you constantly listen to music or watch movies at your home on very loud levels, then it may result in noise induced hearing loss. In fact, listening to music or watching movies with headphones in your ears is one of the leading causes for hearing loss. Headphones have deceptively loud levels and may result in damaged hearing overtime.

2. Noise of household tools: Household tools such as drills, mixers, grinders, mowers, and saws can expose you to loud levels of noise. Even a quick exposure for a few seconds could temporarily damage your hearing. 

3. Occupational problems: Occupations such as construction, factory work and military that require the use of power tools on a constant basis can also cause hearing loss. The sound from the resulting friction might damage your hearing very quickly. Explosions and impacts are also causes of hearing loss in the military and law enforcement departments.

Prevention and treatment
Treatment: It is difficult to treat hearing loss as in most cases; it may be permanent, except sudden shocks, when your hearing might come back to normal. The only treatments for hearing loss are hearing aids or cochlear implants which can restore hearing partially.

Prevention: Prevention is the best method to avoid hearing loss and in most cases, you should wear ear protection such as mufflers or sound level reduction devices to protect your hearing. Also, practice listening to music, watching TV or movies at lower levels, especially if you are on the headphones. In case you have a concern or query you can always consult an expert & get answers to your questions!