Lend a Ear to the Needs of the Deaf

Little known facts about great people, where indomitable strength has helped them rise above life-altering disabilities, to stand-out with their contributions to mankind, is indeed inspiration for the whole world. When we turn on the lights everyday to dispel darkness, how many of us know that the inventor of the ubiquitous bulb, Thomas Alva Edison, suffered hearing difficulties in childhood which progressively led to deafness in his formative years.

Helen Keller, who had blazed a trail of sorts despite grave disabilities, had said 'I am just as deaf as I am blind. The problems of deafness are deeper and more complex, if not more important than those of blindness. Deafness is a much worse misfortune. For it means the loss of the most vital stimulus-- the sound of the voice that brings language, sets thoughts astir, and keeps us in the intellectual company of man.'

People like Beethoven and Keller are truly God's Gifts to mankind even though they were not the chosen recipients of God's gifts – the gift of sight and hearing!

Deaf Awareness Week 2007

This week, September 24th- 30th is celebrated worldwide as the Deaf Awareness Week. This is an initiative by The World Federation of the Deaf, which is an international organization that combines the initiative of 120 different national associations working for the cause of deaf people. They work in tandem with the United Nations and during this week, seminars and awareness programmes are initiated to iron out some of the crucial problems faced by the deaf.

The ear is a marvelous system comprising many intricate parts connected by zillions of nerve cells. If there is a defect in the components of the ear or there is damage to any of these parts, it could lead to malfunction of the hearing system.

Nearly 2% of the Indian population is speech and hearing impaired. Many children are born deaf; therefore their capacity to pick up a language takes a beating. They suffer speech related problems as a result.

People over the age of 60 sometimes complain of a gradual dip in their hearing. This is called age-related hearing loss. Deafness can also be due to the side-effect of certain medications or can also arise due to an injury to the auditory mechanism.

What are the causes and types of hearing loss?

Congenital Hearing Loss

In many cases, hearing loss is evident at the time of birth. This is called congenital hearing loss. There are several factors behind congenital hearing loss and genetics is known to play an important role. If one or both parents suffer hearing impairment, there is a likelihood of the child inheriting the condition. Also, if there is a family history of hearing impairment, then the children could be genetically predisposed to hearing problems during their life.

Infections in the prenatal or postnatal periods influence hearing. Some of the diseases which cause hearing problems are jaundice, rubella, and chicken pox. The mother’s health during pregnancy influences the heath of the child in many ways, likewise in the case of hearing too.