Finally a well done article ... to read and not necessarily in the places of the field ...
Deafness and hearing impairment associated with it are a serious medical and social problem, is still underestimated, although it is an important part of the population concerned. Severely affects infants and children where it can cause severe abnormalities in language development and consequent problems in communication and positioned in the child's psychological and serious social problems in families, also strongly interested in the youthful age as a result of lifestyle and bad habits, the working-age due to exposure to noise, and the older population for the inevitable process of deterioration related sensory age. Then there is the problem of environmental noise that affects millions of Italians and may cause severe hearing impairment and other vital equipment. Tinnitus, or ringing are often disabling and constitute a medical problem to be solved in part.
Audiological Research is a work in progress: in recent years have seen encouraging progress in the laboratory and in humans, as in the identification of many genetic deafness, early diagnosis of childhood deafness already a few months of life, treatment bio-electronic forms of severe sensorineural hearing loss with implant surgery, studies on the potential use reparative stem cells, the identification of deafness caused by autoimmune disorders, study and modern treatment of tinnitus, the use of new drugs for hearing protection, the introduction of modern digital hearing aids corrective.
DEAFNESS 'CHILD
The childhood deafness is a frequent problem in the Italian population are approximately 1500-2000 children born each year in our country, with severe hearing loss. The hearing, which is the functional impairment of the organ of hearing in children is in the vast majority (90%) cases of congenital, that is linked to the agents involved in pre-and peri-natal period. The hereditary causes are more frequent (more than 50%), followed by infectious, toxic, fetal distress, traumatic. Of these only half are identified first year of life, the others are identified later with a huge negative impact on the child's cognitive development and communication. Statistical data reflect well the situation in Italy: the
• deafness arose before or at birth are the '80% of all the severe childhood deafness, the deafness acquired before age three, however, in a period of learning the language, are an additional 10%
• 1-2 children in 1000, apparently born healthy, have deafness at birth;
• 5-10 out of 100 children born at risk, with a variety of neonatal disease, have deafness
• 25-30% of early childhood deafness are of unknown origin but probably some of them may be in the near future be classified as genetic in origin;
• In Italy there are about 25,000 children below the age of 10 who have communication disorders to varying degrees of hearing impairment;
• 6500-7000 are about the children whose families require Each year the school support for hearing problems.
Late diagnosis makes it much harder for the child. The only way to stem the effects of hearing loss is the prevention and early diagnosis. The diagnosis can be considered 'early' if made and confirmed within the first 6-8 months of life. Until the mid-nineties, the average age of first diagnosis even in most industrialized countries was 30-36 months and then in a considerable time lag in the time of physiological acquisition of language.
DEAFNESS 'ELDERLY
The deafness in the elderly, or presbycusis, is favored by complex factors, including those related to neuro-degenerative processes, vascular and circulatory system, and is among the most disabling conditions in the population of so-called third age. Isolation produced by the lack of auditory stimulation will undoubtedly worsen the already poor quality of life by further reducing its level of autonomy, the ability of social life, his attitude cognitive, psychological and emotional.
A leap forward in technological quality of hearing aids and preparation more qualified at university level for operators to prosthetic acoustic (hearing aid) have in fact already produced an improvement in the level of care and rehabilitation, but still are not many older people using continuously and profitably using prosthetic and undergoing training at an appropriate sound, when necessary, as in old age, we must reshape the structures of the central nervous system. An important aid in this area can be derived from scientific research on aging processes sensory canal, on the pharmacological means to prevent and slow down, technologies prosthetic correction. Educate and inform older people and their families on the impact of auditory isolation and medical and rehabilitative opportunities, encouraging them to undergo a hearing test in a clinical setting, information concerning the correction with a suitable hearing aid and break down the psychological impediments still too deep . And also assist the elderly in all his subsequent journey to promote regular meetings with staff qualified, so slowly, but effectively, to take full advantage of the correction provided by the instrument noise and the rehabilitation of listening. Improve its integration into the society and educate the citizens to accept and help the elderly that has defects communication; and prevent slow, suggesting appropriate interventions healthy lifestyle, the processes of sensory aging.
environmental noise: A major risk to hearing and for the quality 'of life
Of the seven million Italians with problems or hearing impairment, two million adults are suffering from deafness due to occupational activities in noisy environment, with consequences which may be of special gravity on the productive capacity and social life of the subject, as well as social costs.
The noise limits set for occupational safety, although established by Community legislation and implemented by our law with the Decree. August 15, 1991 No 277, are provisional and do not protect people exposed in some way and in any event no adequate means of monitoring the magnitude of the problem.
Noise pollution in the environment of life, caused for example by traffic, activities and building maintenance equipment, has reached unacceptable levels in many cities, outside the limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the legislative demands of current legislation (Law No picture 447/95), without affecting the auditory apparatus exclusion of children, adults and the elderly. But this source of discomfort can also lead to problems on the rest and sleep, the ability to concentrate and study, psycho-physical balance of the person who 'suffers' the noise and finally issues pathological reactive loading of the cardiovascular, hormonal and central nervous system. All noisy activities can not exceed the limit of 'normal tolerance of any citizen who want quiet and rest, as established by current legislation, all noise sources should be acoustically isolated to sound and vibrations are not transmitted nearby homes.
Audiological Research is a work in progress: in recent years have seen encouraging progress in the laboratory and in humans, as in the identification of many genetic deafness, early diagnosis of childhood deafness already a few months of life, treatment bio-electronic forms of severe sensorineural hearing loss with implant surgery, studies on the potential use reparative stem cells, the identification of deafness caused by autoimmune disorders, study and modern treatment of tinnitus, the use of new drugs for hearing protection, the introduction of modern digital hearing aids corrective.
DEAFNESS 'CHILD
The childhood deafness is a frequent problem in the Italian population are approximately 1500-2000 children born each year in our country, with severe hearing loss. The hearing, which is the functional impairment of the organ of hearing in children is in the vast majority (90%) cases of congenital, that is linked to the agents involved in pre-and peri-natal period. The hereditary causes are more frequent (more than 50%), followed by infectious, toxic, fetal distress, traumatic. Of these only half are identified first year of life, the others are identified later with a huge negative impact on the child's cognitive development and communication. Statistical data reflect well the situation in Italy: the
• deafness arose before or at birth are the '80% of all the severe childhood deafness, the deafness acquired before age three, however, in a period of learning the language, are an additional 10%
• 1-2 children in 1000, apparently born healthy, have deafness at birth;
• 5-10 out of 100 children born at risk, with a variety of neonatal disease, have deafness
• 25-30% of early childhood deafness are of unknown origin but probably some of them may be in the near future be classified as genetic in origin;
• In Italy there are about 25,000 children below the age of 10 who have communication disorders to varying degrees of hearing impairment;
• 6500-7000 are about the children whose families require Each year the school support for hearing problems.
Late diagnosis makes it much harder for the child. The only way to stem the effects of hearing loss is the prevention and early diagnosis. The diagnosis can be considered 'early' if made and confirmed within the first 6-8 months of life. Until the mid-nineties, the average age of first diagnosis even in most industrialized countries was 30-36 months and then in a considerable time lag in the time of physiological acquisition of language.
DEAFNESS 'ELDERLY
The deafness in the elderly, or presbycusis, is favored by complex factors, including those related to neuro-degenerative processes, vascular and circulatory system, and is among the most disabling conditions in the population of so-called third age. Isolation produced by the lack of auditory stimulation will undoubtedly worsen the already poor quality of life by further reducing its level of autonomy, the ability of social life, his attitude cognitive, psychological and emotional.
A leap forward in technological quality of hearing aids and preparation more qualified at university level for operators to prosthetic acoustic (hearing aid) have in fact already produced an improvement in the level of care and rehabilitation, but still are not many older people using continuously and profitably using prosthetic and undergoing training at an appropriate sound, when necessary, as in old age, we must reshape the structures of the central nervous system. An important aid in this area can be derived from scientific research on aging processes sensory canal, on the pharmacological means to prevent and slow down, technologies prosthetic correction. Educate and inform older people and their families on the impact of auditory isolation and medical and rehabilitative opportunities, encouraging them to undergo a hearing test in a clinical setting, information concerning the correction with a suitable hearing aid and break down the psychological impediments still too deep . And also assist the elderly in all his subsequent journey to promote regular meetings with staff qualified, so slowly, but effectively, to take full advantage of the correction provided by the instrument noise and the rehabilitation of listening. Improve its integration into the society and educate the citizens to accept and help the elderly that has defects communication; and prevent slow, suggesting appropriate interventions healthy lifestyle, the processes of sensory aging.
environmental noise: A major risk to hearing and for the quality 'of life
Of the seven million Italians with problems or hearing impairment, two million adults are suffering from deafness due to occupational activities in noisy environment, with consequences which may be of special gravity on the productive capacity and social life of the subject, as well as social costs.
The noise limits set for occupational safety, although established by Community legislation and implemented by our law with the Decree. August 15, 1991 No 277, are provisional and do not protect people exposed in some way and in any event no adequate means of monitoring the magnitude of the problem.
Noise pollution in the environment of life, caused for example by traffic, activities and building maintenance equipment, has reached unacceptable levels in many cities, outside the limits recommended by the World Health Organization and the legislative demands of current legislation (Law No picture 447/95), without affecting the auditory apparatus exclusion of children, adults and the elderly. But this source of discomfort can also lead to problems on the rest and sleep, the ability to concentrate and study, psycho-physical balance of the person who 'suffers' the noise and finally issues pathological reactive loading of the cardiovascular, hormonal and central nervous system. All noisy activities can not exceed the limit of 'normal tolerance of any citizen who want quiet and rest, as established by current legislation, all noise sources should be acoustically isolated to sound and vibrations are not transmitted nearby homes.
(from correrenelverde.it)
