The Hearing Company (Glasgow) Ltd Incorporating Clements & Osborne Hearing Centres236 Ayr Road Newton Mearns Glasgow, G77 6AA, United Kingdom, 0141 616 2624, edgreg101@hotmail.comAbout Hearing Losshttp://www.ecomhearing.co.uk09:51 07-Sep-2010What is Deafness? Deafness can be mild, moderate, severe, or profound. People with mild deafness have some difficulty following speech, mainly in noisy situations. Those with moderate deafness have difficulty following speech without a hearing aid. Those who are severely deaf rely a lot on lip-reading, even with a hearing aid. British Sign Language may be their first or preferred language. Profoundly deaf people communicate by lip-reading, BSL may be their first or preferred language. Deafness causes difficulty communicating and an increased risk of physical and social isolation Deafness causes difficulty communicating and an increased risk of physical and social isolation. Those with deafness or partial hearing are at a greater risk of accidents because they may not hear warning alarms and sirens. In the UK, there are an estimated 8.7 million deaf and partially hearing people. About 673,000 of these are severely or profoundly deaf. The most common cause of hearing loss is ageing, and three quarters of those with deafness are aged over 60. In total, nearly 9 million people in the UK - that's about one in five of the population - have some degree of hearing loss. From 40 years old, more men than women become hard of hearing. Among people over the age of 80, more women than men are deaf or hard of hearing, not because women are more likely to become deaf, but because women live longer. Causes of Hearing Loss Hearing loss may result from damage or disruption to any part of the hearing system: from simple wax blocking the ear canals, through to age-related changes to the sensory cells of the cochlea, to damage to the brain. Common causes of deafness in adults include presbyacusis (age-related hearing loss), side-effects of medication, acoustic neuroma, and Meniere's disease. Common causes of deafness in children include inherited conditions, infection during pregnancy, meningitis, head injury, and glue ear. Common temporary causes include earwax, infection, glue ear, and foreign body obstruction. Noise as a cause of hearing loss Excessive exposure to noise is an important cause of a particular pattern of hearing loss Excessive exposure to noise is an important cause of a particular pattern of hearing loss, contributing to problems for up to 50 per cent of deaf people. But often, people fail to realise the damage they are doing to their ears until it's too late. Although loud music is often blamed (and personal stereos are said to be generating an epidemic of deafness in years to come) research has also blamed tractors for deafness in children of farmers, aircraft noise, sports shooting, and even cordless telephones. Vaccination against infections and avoiding excessive noise exposure reduces the risk of deafness. Removing wax and foreign bodies, and treating infections and glue ear helps improve hearing. Hearing aids and for some people cochlear implants enable hearing. Communication is essential The ability to communicate is an essential part of living in human society. Advances in technology have lead to an explosion of devices, gadgets, and other methods to help people with hearing loss listen to and talk with others. Older people are often reticent about using a hearing aid, perhaps reluctant to accept the ravages of age, or concerned about the stigma of deafness or the rough deal that deaf people often get from society. But modern hearing aids are a great improvement on those available just a couple of decades ago. |