Saturday, 2 March 2019

Helping musicians to preserve their precious hearing.

Helping musicians to preserve their precious hearing.


Hearing testing at first enrolment in music.
Use of isolating custom ear phones (softer material)
Wear both ear pieces always (one only is more dangerous listeners increases volume dangerously)
Noise peak limiting devices (use personal monitor system with peak limiter),
     no vent in the ear phone (additional noise)
Seek help if early warning signs eg. ringing noise, temporary reduction in hearing after performing.
Reduce number of times you are exposed & keeping volume level low.
Research in Music Noise Exposure

Rock and jazz music is loudest .

Rock Music Noise  exposure 120-130dBA
75% of Rock/Jazz Musicians had hearing loss (Kahari et al 2003)
4-58% of musicians have some mild hearing loss (Axelson et al 1981)
Source :Chasin Marshall 2009 Hearing loss in musicians 

Dangers regarding the ear and hearing.


Dangers regarding the ear and hearing.
Ringing noise in the ears(tinnitus).
üPerceiving sounds at normal listening levels as too loud leading to fear of sounds.
üPerceiving two “different” sounds in a tone instead of single pitch.
üSensing sounds as increasing in loudness from very quiet to too loud at an abnormally fast rate
üDizzines - loss of body balance
üPermanent Noise Induced hearing loss

WORLD HEARING DAY, 3RD MARCH. HEAR BETTER CENTRE.


EARLY HEARING DETECTION AND INTERVENTION.
                 MUSICIANS EDUCATION CORNER
     Wanjohi Z W
  
      Team Leader
    
      Consultant Audiologist.
                     
Music, a powerful tool but high price!

vThe musicians primary focus is performance.
vConsideration for hearing preservation is secondary.
vThe musicians want to hear with precision what they are.
vMusicians are in it either as:
     -hobby
     -entertainment (self and public)
     -career/profession
vPoor use of personal In –the –Ear Monitoring (IEM) can enhance ear and damage

HEARING AND LISTENING MILESTONES IN CHILDREN


WORLD HEARING DAY 3rd MARCH 2019
HEAR BETTER CENTRE-PUBLIC HEARING HEALTH.
YOU CAN DO SOMETHING TODAY TO HELP DETECT HEARING LOSS EARLY IN A CHILD. LOOK AT THE MILESTONES BELOW AND HELP A PARENT TO MONITOR HER CHILD’S SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT.
HEARING AND LISTENING MILESTONES IN CHILDREN
(Palmer and Mormer 1989)
0-28 days:        Child startles to loud sound.
                        Pays attention to voice and music
                        Parent’s voice quietens child
1-4 months:     Looks for the source of sound.
                        Enjoys parent’s voice.
                        Pays attention to objects that generate noise.
                        Can imitate sounds e.g. “aa” “ee” “oo”
4- 8 months:    Can shake objects to make sounds.
                        Can respond to simple words e.g. “bye, bye”
                        Learning to recognize own name.
                        Plays with objects that make noise.
                        Enjoys music etc.
8-12 months:   Pays attention to the television set.
                        Identifies the source of a sound or voice.
                        Understands “NO” and responds.
                        Enjoys songs and games where voice is used.
                        Responds to verbalized games e.g. see, wow!
1 year:             Dances to music.
                        Answers to name call.
                        Pays attention to book.
2 years:           Listens on phone, listen to story in a group; dances to music
3 years:           Can talk and listen on phone.
                        Follow and sings with music.
                        Can follow recorded voice message.
                        Pays attention to verbal warnings.

Thursday, 28 February 2019

WHY USE HEARING AIDS?


WHY DO PEOPLE WITH HEARING IMPAIRMENT FAIL TO USE HEARING AIDS?
1.      Cost.
-          Too expensive especially the modern digital programmable.
-          Consider the gain from getting one (quality of life) against the cost of hearing aid.
-          Technology is improving at high cost to the consumer.
-          Remember “cheap can be very expensive in the long run”! Used hearing aids do more harm in young children.

2.      No qualified Professional Services.
-          On top of losing the critical window of speech and language development, they reject hearing aids of low quality and poor fit never to give a second chance!
-          Make sure your diagnosis has been accurately made by a qualified audiologist or a health professional supervised by an experienced audiologist.
-          Ensure hearing fitting is done by or under an experienced audiologist especially in a child.
-          You may demand to see the clinician qualifications

3.      Hearing aids ate too delicate.
-          Hearing aids like other electronics do break down easily.
-          People with hearing loss require high performing hearing aids for best results.
-          Do not accept to be fitted with a second hand hearing aid unless there is a manufacturer’s endorsement of its performance.
-          Each new hearing aid carries a manufacturer’s warranty for a year in case of nonperformance due to a factory fault.
-          Learn how to troubleshoot and maintain your hearing aids.
-          Get it serviced at your health care service provider.

4.      Bad report or experience about hearing aids.
-          Learn from those telling you of bad experience. However do not stop there. Give yourself a try as they did. After all you are not there and you might perform better.
-          It is known that people with “bad” experience draw comfort and strength from others with “bad” experience. This is paradoxical.

5.      Fear of the unknown.
-          Many people with problem even beyond hearing loss live in this “valley of Indecision”.
-          Connect with positive users of hearing aids and contact hearing health professionals for balanced opinion.

6.      Negative image projection.
-          Visible hearing aids e.g. behind the ear call for some attention.
-          Miniaturized behind the ear hearing aids intend to reduce visibility.
-          Even further the In The Ear reduces this and the completely In The Canal (CIC) hearing aids works out the miracle of concealment! 
-          It is with notice that mild and moderate hearing impairment can be addresses by the invisible and not so visible hearing aids.
-          The moderate and severe hearing loss require the larger and more visible hearing aids (BTE) so as to be more effective.
-          Young children should be provided with behind the ear so as to monitor performance.
-          It in a dilemma between image and impact of hearing loss, work out real losses to hearing impairment against potential gain due to use of a behind the ear hearing aid.(communication book-balancing), ther DECIDE.
           

HEARING AND LISTENING MILESTONES IN CHILDREN


HEARING AND LISTENING MILESTONES IN CHILDREN

            (PALMER AND Mormer 1989)
0-28 days:        Child startles to loud sound.
                        Pays attention to voice and music
                        Parent’s voice quietness child

1-4 months:     Looks for the source of sound.
                        Enjoys parent’s voice.
                        Pays attention to objects that generate noise.
                        Can imitate sounds e.g. “aa” “ee” “oo”

4- 8 months:    Can shake objects to make sounds.
                        Can respond to simple words e.g. “bye, bye”
                        Learning to recognize own name.
                        Plays with objects that makes noise.
                        Enjoys music etc.

8-12 months:   Pays attention to the television set.
                        Identifies the source of a sound or voice.
                        Understands “NO” and responds.
                        Enjoys songs and games where voice is used.
                        Respond to verbalized games e.g. see, wow!

1 year:             Dances to music.
                        Answers to name call.
                        Pays attention to book.

2 years:           Listens on phone, listen to story in a group; dances to music

3 years:           Can talk and listen on phone.
                        Follow and sings with music.
                        Can follow recorded voice message.
                        Pays attention to verbal warnings.