Deafness (deafness)

If you are from deafness or Deafness speaks, we are usually talking about an extreme form of hearing impairment or complete loss of hearing or the sense of hearing. Those affected hear nothing or very little. Sometimes sounds are also heard, but the language or meaning of the sounds remains hidden from the deaf person. Deafness can be made easier with the help of hearing aids or by learning to use sign language. A complete cure of deafness (deafness) has unfortunately not yet been achieved up to the current state of medical research.

What is deafness?

Hearing aids are available in different designs. The most common models are mostly analog behind-the-ear devices. Hearing loss and hearing impairment can be compensated for. They make the everyday life of the hearing impaired much easier.

In Germany around 0.1 percent (80,000 people) of the population are deaf. A Deafness (deafness) is when noises and tones are not perceived or only perceived to a very limited extent. The sounds penetrate the ear, but the hearing organ cannot process or pass them on. On the other hand, a reduced hearing ability is referred to as hearing loss.

Hearing loss and deafness (deafness) can affect one or both ears. In medicine, a distinction is made between absolute and practical deafness (deafness). In the first form, those affected do not hear any sound. If, on the other hand, there is practical deafness, the patients can still perceive individual noises, but can no longer understand the language. Furthermore, deafness is divided into congenital or acquired deafness. With regard to the acquired deafness, doctors again differentiate between the prelingual and the postlingual form. With the latter, deafness (deafness) occurs after language development has taken place.

Because deaf people cannot perceive sounds, they are unable to react accordingly. This makes communication with the speaking and hearing environment much more difficult. Hearing is also a basic requirement for language acquisition. Speech and language disorders occur very often in the deaf and usually impair professional life and social contacts.

causes

A Deafness (deafness) can result from congenital or acquired damage. Congenital hearing damage is usually hereditary or caused by certain influences during pregnancy. The most common triggering factors of acquired deafness (deafness) include ear infections caused by Lyme disease, meningitis and otitis media, and mumps. But bleeding or injuries in the inner ear can also lead to severe hearing damage. In addition, a traumatic brain injury can trigger deafness (deafness).

Inherited deafness (deafness) is relatively rare. About five percent of the deaf are children of also deaf parents. However, congenital deafness (deafness) can be caused by damage to the unborn child already in the womb. This is the case, for example, with infections such as rubella, as well as with alcohol, drug and nicotine consumption during pregnancy. Ultimately, oxygen deficiency or trauma during childbirth can also be responsible for hearing loss or deafness (deafness).

Symptoms, ailments & signs

Deafness can be present at any age. In some people it is present at birth, while others lose their sense of hearing during their lifetime. Deafness can be unilateral or bilateral. Complaints are particularly evident in the communicative and social area.

The bilateral deafness excludes the perception of ambient noise. Affected people do not react as expected, which makes life in their environment difficult. It is difficult to establish social contacts, and professional opportunities are limited. If the bilateral deafness has existed since birth, language development is usually also disturbed. Affected people do not hear themselves and can therefore only insufficiently form syllables.

In addition, complete deafness is not infrequently associated with attacks of dizziness. Some patients also complain of malformations of the eyes, kidneys and bones. On the other hand, one-sided deafness leads to a comparatively slight hearing impairment. In this case, only the left or right ear is unable to perceive sound.

Those affected are unable to block out background noises sufficiently during a conversation. They also find it difficult to understand conversations near the deaf ear. Distances, such as to a moving car, are difficult to estimate with one-sided deafness.

Complications

Deafness can lead to complications in rare cases and in very different ways. Especially with acquired deafness - as with all acquired sensory losses - those affected can experience depression, as the new situation makes them feel helpless, angry or sad. The same applies to difficult communication with people who do not have any knowledge of sign language.

In addition, the risk of accidents for deaf people is often increased. This is especially true for busy roads and similar situations. Accordingly, precautionary measures are more relevant in everyday life. An inserted cochlear implant can lead to undesirable side effects during or after insertion. The operation carries a low risk of damaging the auditory nerve (and thus also the taste nerve in the broadest sense), it can leave wounds that become inflamed, it can lead to meningitis or cause a permanent tinnitus trigger for those affected.

Operations aimed at correcting tissue damage that has caused the tissue also harbor the usual risks of complications. This could include operations on the ossicles or the ear canal. Otherwise, other complications depend on possible underlying diseases (delayed otitis media) and must be considered individually.

When should you go to the doctor?

If parents, relatives or legal guardians notice that the offspring does not react at all or only with delay to noises from the environment, a doctor should be consulted immediately. It is particularly worrying if the development of loud noises does not have any noticeable effect on the person concerned. Behavioral problems, the child's physical reactions only to visual contact and unusual vocalizations must be examined and treated. These are signs of an existing health impairment that should be clarified. If in the course of life there is a reduction in normal hearing ability, this is also a sign of an irregularity that must be investigated as soon as possible.

A decrease in hearing is to be understood as a warning signal from the organism. A doctor is required to clarify the cause and to counter long-term disorders in good time. If you can suddenly and suddenly no longer hear familiar noises from the environment, you need to see a doctor. Investigations should be made immediately so that a diagnosis can be made and then a treatment plan can be established. If the deafness has already been diagnosed, there are further complaints and irregularities, there is also a need for action. In the case of emotional and mental problems, the person affected often needs help in order to be able to cope better with the disease in everyday life.

Treatment & Therapy

Without appropriate therapy, a Deafness (deafness) do not improve. Early diagnosis and treatment have a positive effect on language development, particularly in the case of the congenital form or severe hearing loss. For children, the focus is on early intervention in the form of speech and language education and attending special schools for the deaf.

The aim of therapy is basically to improve the patient's everyday skills. Specially adapted hearing aids are used if there is still a residual hearing ability.In the case of profound hearing loss or complete deafness (deafness), the hearing function can be replaced by a cochlear implant.

If therapy is not possible with either hearing aids or surgical measures, patients must learn to live with the diagnosis of deafness (deafness). Here, other communication channels such as lip reading or sign language are learned.

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prevention

A hereditary one deafness and Deafness can generally not be prevented. Some of the triggering factors can, however, be avoided through appropriate prevention. In addition, pregnant women can take various measures and protect the child's hearing from harmful influences. Risk factors such as viral infections can be switched off with vaccinations.

Another important aspect of prevention is avoiding excessive noise pollution. Hearing protection can help here. Certain medications, alcohol and nicotine should be avoided, especially during pregnancy. Finally, it is recommended to consult a doctor immediately in the event of ear infections and hearing impairments to prevent deafness (deafness).

Aftercare

The type of aftercare for deaf people depends on how and at what point in time the affected person lost their hearing. A distinction is made between congenital and acquired deafness. In the first case, the patient is born without hearing and grows up with the limitation. Follow-up care is a constant accompaniment here, usually well into adulthood.

In the second course, the affected person becomes deaf due to an accident, a faulty operation on the ear or other external influences. Follow-up care is particularly indicated here. The deaf person must learn from the ground up to deal with the loss of senses. This can put a psychological strain on both himself and close relatives.

Similar to congenital deafness, aftercare also becomes a permanent companion in the case of acquired deafness: The person affected will have questions about everyday dealing with deafness, especially at the beginning. A specialist or a special counseling center can provide him with professional support.

Parallel visits to self-help groups offer the opportunity to exchange ideas with other deaf people. If there is additional emotional stress, a psychotherapist should be consulted. The emotional well-being of the person concerned is stabilized. Depression can be prevented this way.

You can do that yourself

Deafness is a massive form of hearing impairment that those affected can often cope with much better with self-help in everyday life. The measures depend on the patient and their needs or requirements.

Self-help is best discussed with the treating ENT doctor or an experienced hearing aid acoustician. Going to a self-help group for people with hearing impairments or even deafness can be very useful in many cases. The exchange with those affected regarding their experiences with a deficient hearing and the tips of the other participants are often valuable for the practical and also psychological coping with the disease. Those affected are often understood more than by their own relatives.

In everyday life, self-help around hearing impairment can be made very practical. This starts with the videophone with sign language and goes through the light alarm clock to informing family, friends, neighbors and colleagues. They need to know that the person concerned must not be spoken to from behind and that communication should be clearly articulated so that they can read from the lips. The psychological impairment caused by a hearing impairment must not be neglected in self-help. When coping, it is especially important to stabilize social contacts.