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Learn about hearing impairment, its causes, and treatments. Discover how to support individuals with hearing loss in communication and daily life. Explore the importance of early identification and communication strategies.
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Hearing Impairment : Deafness By Catherine Hansford
Air travels through the ear canal Sound waves makes the eardrum vibrate Ear ossicles vibrate Cochlear vibrates Disturbing hairs which detect the sound Auditory nerve Information is transferred to the brain
Any damage at any stage along this process, will cause a loss of hearing. Sometimes children may be able to hear sounds, but not distinguish speech. Often the higher sounds e.g. sssss, shhhh are harder to distinguish than /m/ and /a/. Or the sounds deleted from the ends of words Hearing impairments
1. Conductive hearing impairment - outer or middle ear. It is often medically or surgically treatable. e.g. ear infection/ glue ear 2. Sensorineural hearing impairment - a problem with the inner ear, or, occasionally with the hearing nerve. It is usually permanent and requires rehabilitation such as the use of a hearing aid. 2 types of hearing impairment
During pregnancy or birth: - Mother using ototoxic drugs (antibiotic Gentamicin during pregnancy) - Rubella during pregnancy - Jaundice (during pregnancy), which can damage the hearing nerve in a newborn baby - Birth asphyxia - Premature birth - Genetic - hereditary What causes hearing impairment?
After birth: - Meningitis - Measles - Mumps - Chronic ear infections - Exposure to excessive noise - Head and ear injury - Wax or foreign bodies blocking the ear canal - Ageing – constant exposure to noise and other factors may lead to deafness or hearing impairment
- Fluid present in the middle ear - Ossicles can not easily move to transmit sound signals. - Very common in children - Eustachian tube (usually drains the ear) – in children the tube is smaller, shorter and less angled in so it more regularly blocks Glue Ear
- If we cannot hear words clearly it is difficult to learn to speak - They cannot understand what people want so regularly get frustrated - Poor behaviour - Feeling lonely and forgotton - Exchange of information is very important for any child's development - The early years (1-5) are important for a child to learn communication Why is hearing so important?
Where are there hearing impairment schools available? How are they currently communicating? Is it enough? Is there any residual hearing, that could be used for communciation? If so encourage assessment in a near by centre! What sounds can't they hear? Are they likely to attend school, how will they communicate there? What do we need to do?
How can they increase the amount of sign that they are using? Encourage them to use sign to communicate all of their needs New signs may need to be taught repeatedly and in different contexts Who understands them, is alternative communication needed for outside the home? Sign
- They can then understand everybody all of the time - Speak in a normal way, over-exaggerated movements are not normal life - Ensure that they are looking at your face when labelling or talking about objects Lip reading
If patients have some hearing, they may attempt to speak The speech may not be clear, as it can be difficult for them to work out how to produce sound, and they cannot hear the sounds that they make, With practice and feedback from listeners some deaf people are able to speak relatively clearly Speech
- Some patients can communicate by writing and reading - Carry a notebook and pen around to speak with others - First they need to learn how too! Match the words with pictures or the objects Reading and writing
Do they find it difficult in group situations? Don't exclude them from interactions How can you reduce the amount of background noise? Turn off the TV! Make sure you communicate face to face wherever possible Environmental considerations
- 2 different types of hearing impairment - Early identification is important for development - Some patients can hear some sound, how can we help them hear more? - Give them a way to communicate as much as possible - Help people understand that they are clever people – that can live an independent life Summary