Hearing is very important to us. Hearing impairment affects our daily lives and also our physical, psychological and social wellbeing.

Classification of hearing loss:

1. Conductive loss
This is caused by abnormality in the pathway conducting sound waves from the outer to the inner ear.

2. Sensorineural loss
There is impairment in sound transmission from the inner ear to the brain and the central nervous system. It is more common in the elderly due to degeneration.

3. Mixed hearing loss
A mixture of the above.

Signs and Symptoms:

A healthy individual would have no problem in hearing soft voices like the rustling of leaves, sounds ranging from 10 to 25 dB. When a person cannot hear from the 26 to 40 dB range, he is suffering from mild hearing impairment. He may have trouble hearing someone's whisper. It is often difficult to detect the problem at an early stage because symptoms can be quite subtle at times; especially if only sounds of high frequencies are lost.

Seek advice from a doctor if you are:

• unable to hear and understand speech under less favorable conditions, e.g. with background noise
• always asking others to repeat themselves
• speaking louder and louder subconsciously
• frequently turning up the volumes of radio and televisions in order to hear well
• Unable to hear unless you see the face of the person who is speaking
• Unable to hear the ringing of telephone, or cannot hear other person's speech over the phone
• experiencing tinnitus (humming noise in the ear)

Ways to protect your hearing:

1. Pay attention when swimming and washing hair. Remember to dry up your ears afterwards.
2. Avoid blowing your nose too hard.
3. If a foreign body gets into your ear, seek help from a doctor. Do not attempt to remove it yourself.
4. Avoid prolonged use of walkman or discman. Avoid turning the volume too high.
5. Use ear muffs when working in a very noisy environment.
6. Some drugs may induce hearing loss or tinnitus. Take medications only according to doctor's advice.
7. Any discomfort in the ears, especially pain or discharge, should be treated by doctors as soon as possible.

Hearing aids come in many different sizes and shapes. It is therefore best to visit a specialist or an audiologist for a thorough examination first before deciding on which one to buy.

Hearing aids:

(a) Behind-the-ear type: This is a very popular type of hearing aid. The components are held in a shell behind the ear which is connected to the outer ear by a plastic earmold that fits inside the ear.	Behind-the-ear
(b) Body -worn- aid: The hearing aid is connected to the ear by a wire and can be attached to a belt/ pocket and wear on the chest.	Body worn aid
(c) In-the-ear and In-the-canal types: They are small and easy to handle. The hearing aid is custom-made to fit completely in the ear, this helps to focus the sound and allow for better sound amplification	In-the-ear
(d) Spectacle combined type: A specially designed spectacle combined with hearing aid for those people who also need to wear glasses.

Some newer and better types of hearing aids include the digital hearing aid and the programmable in-the canal hearing aid, but they are usually more expensive.

Tips on wearing hearing aids:

• Do not be put off by the idea of hearing aid.
• Choose the one that best fits your need and the size of your ear.
• Many assistive hearing devices may cause feedback in a noisy environment.
• Replace batteries regularly. Regular follow-ups and maintenance are important and should be done at least every 1-2 years.