Aural Rehabilitation
Aural rehabilitation is an important process for people with hearing loss. Hearing loss affects 360,000 people here – that’s 1 in 11 Singaporeans. It can affect anyone of any age.
While devices such as hearing aids or cochlear implants can help to reduce the inconveniences, you may need professional assistance to use these devices to boost your communicative abilities.
What happens during aural rehabilitation?
Aural Rehabilitation aims to ensure that people with hearing difficulty or loss can still continue to enjoy a good quality of life. It is conducted by audiologists, who screen, assess, diagnose and treat hearing loss. To achieve all these, they may perform auditory assessments, fit/programme hearing devices, and offer technology support.
They can also answer questions like the following:
“Why do I find it hard to hear female voices?”
“How do I take care of my hearing aid?”
“What are ways to resolve communication breakdowns with my loved ones?”
How does hearing loss affect quality of life?
Life is all about communication, and people with hearing loss generally have difficulty communicating. Often people can hear their loved ones talking, but can’t understand what they are saying. This leads to loneliness and social isolation. As personal relationships decline, they can experience depression and anxiety.
Research also reveals that people with hearing loss have increased risk of cardiovascular deaths. This can arise from the increased stress, which worsen heart conditions.
Do you have hearing loss?
Hearing loss is the reduced ability to hear sound. It may affect one or both ears. It can occur suddenly or gradually.
Sudden hearing loss is immediately noticeable and requires urgent medical treatment.
Gradual hearing loss happens slowly over time, and it can be harder to notice the reduction in hearing. It may become apparent when you have difficulty hearing people in noisy environments or family members comment on audio being played too loudly for comfort. It may feel like a blockage or a ringing in the ears.
More than 1.5 billion people around the world have hearing loss – and this number may surpass 2.5 billion by 2050.
Get your hearing regularly checked – the earlier any problems are detected, the better the treatment outcomes.
