Question

Ask your teacher about how people deal with hearing problems.

1. How do doctors detect that a child has hearing problems? Learn about hearing devices/aids for children and elders. Make a list of the latest hearing aids/devices.
2. Do people have hearing problems from birth or it can develop over time?
3. What are the reasons people suddenly turn deaf?

Answer 1

(i) Detection Methods and Latest Hearing Devices

Detection in Children: Doctors detect hearing issues in children using objective screening tests such as Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) tests and Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) tests that measure the ear and brain responses to sound without requiring the child to speak.

Latest Hearing Aids and Devices:

• Digital Hearing Aids: They use computerized technology to selectively amplify specific speech frequencies while reducing background noise.
• Receiver-in-Canal (RIC) Aids: They sit discreetly behind the ear with a tiny speaker wire extending directly inside the ear canal.
• Completely-in-Canal (CIC) Devices: They fit entirely inside the ear canal, making them virtually invisible from the outside.
• Cochlear Implants: They are surgically implanted electronic devices that bypass damaged parts of the inner ear to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.

(ii) Hearing problems can occur both from birth and develop over time. Congenital hearing loss is present at birth due to genetic factors or maternal infections during pregnancy, whereas acquired hearing loss develops later in life due to aging, prolonged noise exposure, or certain illnesses.

(iii) Causes of Sudden Deafness: People can turn suddenly deaf due to severe head injuries, acute viral infections that damage the auditory nerve, sudden exposure to extremely loud noises like explosions, or sudden circulatory problems blocking blood flow to the inner ear.