DEAFNESS, A PROBLEM THAT SHOULD BE MORE HEALTH CARE

Bionic Hearing

2012-04-23T12:08:00.004-07:00

According to WHO data, hearing loss affects over 15 million people in Brazil

Cochlear implant is an electronic computerized equipment, which stimulates the auditory nerve via electrical impulses
Photo: Stock Photos, Disclosure

Listen to music, watch the birds singing or listening to the sounds that permeate daily life seems to be trivial and common to all, but some people are not born with this privilege or lose later in life. According to the Brazilian Society of Otology, every thousand children born in the country, three to five have hearing loss.
- Hearing problems can also be caused by exposure to loud noise, degenerative diseases and infections - ENT says Rita Guimarães Cassou, who is also otoneurologists and master in surgery UFPR.
According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), hearing loss affects over 15 million people in Brazil. The hearing is one of several existing techniques to restore hearing, but does not solve all cases.
- Some people suffer from severe or total deafness and hearing aid is not sufficient to correct the problem. For more serious situations, after undergoing a rigorous evaluation process, it is recommended a cochlear implant, also known as the bionic ear - clarifies.
The cochlear implant is a computerized electronic equipment, which stimulates the auditory nerve via electrical impulses. It is surgically implanted in the patient and is considered more advanced use today for the treatment of deafness.
- Small electrodes are implanted in the cochlea, organ of hearing located in the inner ear and stimulates the production of signals to the brain. The bionic ear is a sophisticated device with complex technology and brings good results - points.
Two units comprise the cochlear implant - the internal and external. The inside has the electrodes, which will connect to a receiver located in the region behind the ear, which also is surgically implanted under the skin. With the receiver is also put an antenna and a magnet.
- The magnet is used to secure the unit outside the patient's head and the antenna has the function to receive the electrical signals. The receiver acts as a decoder of signals - highlights the otolaryngologist.
The external drive is the visible part of the implant and consists of a transmitting antenna, a microphone and speech processor. The microphone used to capture ambient sound and transmit to the speech processor, which in turn analyzes the sound and transforms it into electrical impulses that are sent to the transmitting antenna.
- The antenna transmits the signal until it reaches the internal drive. There the signal is decoded and sent to the electrodes, which will stimulate the auditory nerve. This stimulus is interpreted by the brain as sound and the patient recovers part of the hearing - he explains.
The results depend on the history of each patient. Children who are born deaf should be deployed as early as possible, since they have great results while adults over 10 years of deafness reach intermediate results.
- Patients with neurological diseases or syndromes with malformed cochlea normally present results somewhat lower. Remember that other factors determine the success or failure of treatment and assessment of patients' expectations and speech rehabilitation after implantation which shows that each individual should be evaluated by an interdisciplinary team - notes.

What is Hearing Loss

2012-04-23T11:47:00.001-07:00

What is Hearing Loss

Millions of people all over the world suffer from hearing loss. Some were born with it and some develop it with age or through some type of accident. The terms most commonly used to when referring to hearing loss are "deaf" and "hearing impaired". There are different levels and degrees of hearing loss: Some will result with no sound at all and some types may leave you with only partial deafness, such as reduced hearing or difficulty hearing in only one ear.
Thanks to today's technology and medical development, hearing impairment is no longer a tragedy... as it was in the past. We now have high-powered hearing aids; new advances in speech therapy; advanced medication and an overall better support by all sectors of the community.
Of course, there is still work to be done and there needs to be a greater comprehension of the impact hearing loss has - not only on the individual- but also on the immediate circle of friends and family.
Hearing Loss is not a condition that one should deal with alone by themselves : it requires support from friends and family.
First and foremost, it needs to be identified: You can't begin to solve a hearingloss issue unless you know you suffer from it. Secondy, as much as solutions are readily available, implementing them requires time, patience and effort. Nevertheless there has been tremendous improvement in the past 25 years. In fact some people who are deaf are now actually able to speak almost perfectly. There are surgeries now available that can actually reverse hearing loss in certain people.
Hearing loss does not have to be a tragedy, many people live with hearing loss and lead full, rich lives at their jobs and at home with families. There are some famous people who have experienced hearing loss such as Helen Keller; she is the most famous deaf person in history. Marlee Matlin the actress, she is a working actress as well as an award wining actress. Hearing loss doesn’t mean the end of the world. It only means you need to take care of it, to look at the options available to you and take action.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=jtQkJMxgrWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtQkJMxgrWs&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=34cU3HO_hEA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=vhnLYzlafhA

See the practical example of how my wife uses the device headset

2012-03-23T13:25:00.000-07:00

2012-03-23T12:59:00.004-07:00

See the practical example of how my wife uses the device headset

Child hearing test - Audiology at the University of Canterbury

2012-03-18T11:25:00.001-07:00

Demonstration of a child audiometric assessment (hearing test) carried out at the Speech and Hearing Clinic of the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. For information about becoming an Audiologist, seehttp://www.cmds.canterbury.ac.nz/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSZLqsOxhGg

Adult hearing test - Audiology at the University of Canterbury

2012-03-18T11:23:00.001-07:00

Demonstration of an adult audiometric assessment (hearing test) carried out at the Speech and Hearing Clinic of the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand. For information about becoming an Audiologist, see http://www.cmds.canterbury.ac.nz/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u9Ja4wyUaU

HEARING TEST

2012-03-18T11:18:00.002-07:00

Set your volume to regular settings, as if you were watching any YouTube movie. Watch Hearing Test and listen very carefully using headphones. The video displays audio frequencies that are being played. You can determine what you can or what you cannot hear. Typically, depending on age, audible frequencies will be between 20-30 Hertz on the low side of the audio spectrum, and 10-16 kiloHertz on the high side of the audio spectrum. There are individuals, however, who can can hear the whole spectrum between 16 Hz (Hertz) and 20 kHz (kiloHertz). Because of the encoding used during the audio preparation, tests above 18 kHz are not very reliable.
Please make sure that you do not increase the volume just to see if you can hear anything!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4G60hM1W_mk

2012-03-18T01:16:00.002-07:00

Never fail to see a specialist, only doctors with special training in the area can ensure that you get the right treatment without you having to resort to falseespcialistas, which in fact are only sellers hearing aids, these devices have saidthat as a previous post, are not of great utility, they are not even recommended by a physician. Remember that the shops that sails these devices, will only try to sell you a hearing aid, and you do not have to spend money with it, only follow the doctors recommendation, and you just have to buy what you really nead, the sails man is trained to sell you a device, but do not beleive him.

Map

2012-03-18T00:21:00.000-07:00

No matter where you live, if the U.S. or elsewhere, the population is aging and old age health problems appear, but the hearing problems can strike any age group,from infants to the elderly, therefore, what is recommended is to watch out for signs such as distraction, dizziness, lack of concentration, speech problems, ear pain,ear infections. Unfortunately can still confuse the lack of hearing in a child with some mental retardation, which is absurd, always consult your pediatrician and make audiometric testing to detect the problem as soon as possible and givequality of life to the person affected by the problem.

Hearing Problems: Hearing Brings Your World to Life

2012-03-18T00:18:00.000-07:00

Hearing is such an engrained part of life, we often miss it entirely. It’s just there. 24/7. And so, many of us simply take our ability to hear for granted. We’ve never experienced life without it.

Talk to people who have experienced hearing loss – even mild hearing loss – and you quickly discover what hearing does for us on a daily basis. These people overcome hurdles everyday about which most of us know nothing about. Let’s take a closer look at hearing and its importance in life’s quality.

Connecting with Others
We learn to speak by imitating the sounds we hear. Even the most eloquent speaker starts small – with “Mama” and “Dada” and other simple words. Mothers and fathers teach their children to speak by speaking to them. The children hear the sounds and imitate them.

Soon, we develop a larger vocabulary, learning new words every day. As more time passes, we learn to “hear” between the lines. We recognize, not only words, but tone. Is the speaker being sarcastic or are the sentiments expressed genuine? “Nice job, Fred” can mean “you’ve done a good job, Fred,” or it can mean just the opposite – depending on the tone used by the speaker.
There’s a direct link between your ability to hear and your ability to feel emotions. Without hearing, you’re often left out:
Emotional happiness
Isolation due to a lack of ability to hear often leads to depression, anxiety and disconnect from the rest of the world.
Studies haves shown untreated hearing loss had a direct impact on overall quality of life, everything from emotional happiness to relationship success with friends and loved ones. Treating hearing loss allows to reconnect with those around us how bring us emotional connections and happiness each and every day.
Spatial placement
The ability to hear contributes to our understanding of where we are in space. With a diminished ability to hear, we lose this ability to place ourselves in our environment.
This loss can result in losing the ability to tell where sounds are coming from – localization. Loss of localization affects our ability to understand speech in noise as well as protect ourselves in matters of danger (i.e. hearing a car coming at us).
Safety
Your ability to hear a warning bell or alarm protects you from danger. The ability to hear cars coming toward you provides enough time to get out of the way. A shout from a friend or co-worker of potential danger goes unheard and, suddenly, we’re confronted with an unexpected danger. In fact, we often hear danger before we see it.
Cognition
Cognition is the ability to think, to reason and to figure out the world around us. Cognition is an important part of communication. The ability to think, to solve problems and meet challenges are diminished by hearing loss since the brain is no longer stimulated like it once was.
Studies have shown by treating hearing loss cognitive abilities stay sharp and are especially crucial for persons with condition such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Quality of Life
Imagine life without music. Imagine life without the beautiful sounds of nature – the twittering birds, the babbling brook, the rumble of thunder in the distance. Hearing well is living life to the fullest.
Listen to the world around you. Protect your hearing health today and in the future. Treat your hearing loss to ensure you don’t miss out on sounds of life.

2012-03-17T09:28:00.003-07:00

Sending a very important tip, never buy hearing aids without actually need, and when I say this, I speak of the example of my wife, we spent 2400.00 euros in two devicesthat literally are useless, because even using it, continues not understand what you talk to her, unless very close to her speak slowly and clearly, the devices only amplify external sounds, but to hear the television for example, she can not understand anything of what is said, only serves to even hear it beep watch, ring,and sometimes the phone but the phone rings she does not hear well, so forgethearing aids are an unnecessary expense ...

Do not forget, this is a lie, no works even as they say ...

Follow the directions of the World Health Organization

2012-03-17T06:14:00.005-07:00

http://www.who.int/pbd/deafness/activities/hearing_care/advanced.pdf

Portuguese discovery of biochemical Yale opens the way to catch deafness Lusa18 Feb, 2012, 10:11

2012-03-17T06:03:00.001-07:00

A team of scientists led by Yale biochemist young Portuguese Nuno Raimundo unraveled the process of hearing loss, through genetic manipulation of mice, paving the way for a treatment for deafness.The discovery of the molecular mechanism that leads to deafness is narrated in the latest issue of "Cell", one of three major international journals alongside "Nature" and "Science", and demonstrates that "contrary to what previously thought , hearing loss is irreversible, "the scientist told the Lusa 35.The cells responsible for hearing "are there just are not working well, are not dead" and can be reactivated "pharmacologically manipulating two key proteins" within the DNA."If [hearing loss] is not treated as years pass - this is a very common problem, especially in people - can become irreversible. [The discovery] opens some windows of a therapeutic agent. May eventually reduce the incidence or crash, "Lusa said the scientist, postdoc at Yale.The study demonstrates that removal of a molecule known as "Superoxide" prevents cell death critical to identifying a number of hearing and other molecules which may serve as therapeutic targets.Raymond says he will continue this line of research in the coming year, namely "to see exactly when some cells [responsible for hearing] die, and die."There are already drugs on the market that act on some of the proteins in question, but have been used to treat other diseases, so Raymond estimates that a specific treatment for this problem will "never less than 10 years.""From the moment we identify a protein linked to a disease until they get hit with the right medicine, the quantities, everything takes time. One thing is to treat mice, other people," said the scientist told Lusa.But hearing loss "affects millions of citizens" and Raymond believes that there are plenty interested in developing a pharmaceutical drug.Degree in biochemistry in Lisbon, where he arrived to teach, Raymond headed to Finland to work in genetic research and then came to the prestigious Yale University in 2008 specifically for the design study of deafness.Its broader goal is to study the relationship between the cell and an essential organ of these, the mitochondria, the "batteries where it generates the chemical energy that keeps the cells working" and whose "fault" is linked to heart problems, liver or muscles.To widen your search to other "mitochondrial diseases", Raymond is planning to open his own laboratory in principle in Germany, where the conditions of funding and research are more "generous and flexible.""I understand how sometimes a mutation in mitochondrial DNA leads to the development of heart problems and sometimes degeneration of the brain. I understand why some tissues, organs of the body are more susceptible to mutations."Have your own lab is also an opportunity to strengthen collaboration with colleagues and institutions working in the same area in Portugal.Highlights the work generally well regarded institutions such as universities of Minho, Aveiro, the Foundation or Institute Gunbenkian Champalimaud."Little by little there will critical mass in Portugal and there is certainly an extraordinary level of creativity to be tapped, would put the country on top of the map of science. But all this involves funding, which this time is difficult," said.Raymond highlights the "ability to overcome and adapt" the Portuguese scientists, "especially the younger generations," a "kind of energy" who liked to have on your future laboratory."I'm nobody now, but as far as it is my ability, would be delighted and happy to help those [scientists] that in difficult circumstances can do work so worthwhile," he adds.

HOW TO HELP DEAF

2012-03-17T05:54:00.003-07:00

Step 1 - NEVER SHOUT! But so to speak so that the words sound good in the ears, eg SAUDADES, FRIENDS, THE BIBLE, LOVE ... etc ... ever so slowly and clearly ...
Step 2 - Talk looking directly at the deaf person, NEVER back or side ...
Step 3 - NEVER talk fast, have patience to talk to more moderate and deliberate ...
Step 4 - TELEPHONE, the deaf person should always tell at first that it is "DEAF", have hearing problems, and ask the other person to speak slowly and deliberately, clearly, without shouting ... and should put the phone ear in order to feel comfortable in the best position you feel you go to hear good and not out of position while talking on the phone ...
Step 5 - Avoid talking to people with strange noises around, because the deaf person needs to concentrate as much in conversation, and outside noises disturb ...