Hearing tests can be performed in schools, the workplace, and Doctor’s office or at a special hearing test centre; there are several different hearing tests but they all test hearing or the loss of it to some degree.

The Whispered Speech Test

The person conducting the whispered speech test will ask you to cover the opening of one ear with your finger; they will then stand behind you and will whisper a series of words or a sentence which they will ask you to repeat back to them.

If you are having trouble hearing what they are saying then the words will be said again this time a little louder until you can comfortably hear and are able to repeat back the words. Each of your ears will be tested separately.

The Pure Tone Audiometry Test

For this type of test a machine called an audiometer will be used enabling a series of tones to be played through headphones. These tones will vary in there frequency or hertz and loudness which is measured in decibels.

Some people think that the deaf and hard of hearing place a burden on society, so how can this burden be reduced? Studies have shown that children with hearing impairments often suffer from delayed development in learning language and speech skills which results in slow progression in school.

In adults there hearing loss or deafness often makes it difficult for them to gain employment and keep it. Children and both adults alike suffer isolation and there has always been a certain stigma involved with deafness and hearing problems.

The greater burden is felt in those people on low incomes because often they cannot afford the medical care they need to prevent loss of hearing or in the case of those already deaf or hard of hearing some can’t afford the expense of hearing aids to make there condition more manageable.

One of the most causes of hearing loss is perforation of the eardrum, this can occur for several reasons including ear infections and foreign objects being put in the ear such as q-tips being inserted too far.

The ear is divided into three parts, the outer ear, middle ear and the inner ear. The Eardrum is covered by a thick layer of skin and is circular in shape when a perforation occurs it is because of a tear in the eardrum.

Sound waves entering the outer ear make your eardrum vibrate this is how you hear sound as it passes to tiny bones in your middle ear from the eardrum. Sound is then carried to the cochlea in your inner ear and this converts the vibrations to sound signals which your brain then interrupts as the sound you hear.

Symptoms

You may have a perforated eardrum if you are suffering from any of the following symptoms:

• Discomfort in the ear or pain
• Pus or discharge emitting from the ear
• A partial loss of hearing or “fuzzy” hearing
• A ringing noise or a similar sound is present

How Your Eardrum Can Become Perforated

The most common cause is contracting an ear infection because of the pus build up that often occurs with infection. Sometimes your eardrum will rupture allowing the pus to escape.

Otosclerosis is the degeneration of the bone in the ear and the onset is more common in during the teenage years or early adulthood the bone will turn to soft spongy bone instead of the hard bone it is supposed to be.

When you’re speaking to someone who is deaf or hard of hearing try to remember these points:

Here we have compiled a dossier of frequently asked questions concerning deafness and hearing loss which you may find helpful.

Don’t automatically assume just because the person is wearing a hearing aid that they will be able to hear you; many cannot so ask if they will be reading your lips.

If the deaf person is going to be reading your lips then don’t start speaking until they are ready and their full attention is focused on you.

Speak very clearly but not slowly just because the person is deaf doesn’t mean that they are slow. Try to avoid exaggerated lip movements and try and keep your facial expressions and gestures natural.

If you’re talking to two or more people and only one of them is deaf then don’t just focus on the people who can hear you, leaving the deaf person out.

Here we have compiled a dossier of frequently asked questions concerning deafness and hearing loss which you may find helpful.

Q: Do deaf people like listening to music?

Studies have shown that many deaf and hard of hearing people do in fact enjoy music as much as those who can hear, the majority of those asked who loved music did have hearing to some extent but all deaf people can feel physical vibrations and this is often felt through music.

Deaf people will even dance to music, they are able to this either by standing close to a solid object such as a counter top or table and rest there hand on it, this way vibrations from the music will be felt through the object. The bass in the sound system is also relied upon as this will give out vibrations also.