Television will not hurt the eyes if you have a fairly large
screen, do not keep the room in total darkness, do not sit too close to the set
or at an angle, and do not watch steadily for extended periods. It can be wise
to be arbitrary about children's viewing, setting an hour as the limit for
Swimming Rarely does swimming cause ear trouble unless there is a nose, sinus,
or throat infection. Learning how to breathe in through the mouth and out
through the nose during swimming is a helpful preventive measure. In the case
of a perforated eardrum, however, you should have your doctor's permission and
advice before going swimming.
Once in a while, an eardrum may be perforated by
the pressure of high diving; pain, and sometimes bleeding, will result. If you
see a doctor immediately, there will probably be no permanent harm from such an
accident. Deafness There are many degrees of hearing impairment. Mild hearing
loss may go unnoticed. When the loss is great enough to produce some difficulty
in communication, the condition is commonly called "hard of hearing."
When so much hearing ability is lost that a loud voice, even a voice amplified
by a hearing aid, cannot be heard, the condition is called deafness.
Hearing
impairment may stem from an inner ear problem; essentially, this is nervedeafness. Often, the impairment is of the conductive type in which there is no
nerve involvement but rather some defect in the conduction of sound waves in
the outer ear canal or the middle ear. An infection, injury, or congenital deformity
may close the ear canal, and the canal may need surgical reconstruction. If an
eardrum has been partially destroyed by infection, plastic surgery may repair
it. If the middle ear bones are damaged by infection, corrective surgery may
help.
Otosclerosis, a common form of impairment, involves the
stapes, one of the middle ear bones. Because of overgrowth of bone, the stapes
cannot vibrate properly and so is unable to transmit sound waves. An
operation to mobilize the stapes has restored hearing for many people. And
other surgery may be used when the mobilization operation is not suitable.
Many
types of hearing impairment can be overcome to a marked degree, even almost
completely, with hearing aids. It is tragic to think of all the people who lead
handicapped lives because they believe that others will make fun of them if
they wear an aid. If this was ever true -and we doubt it-it is certainly no
longer true with aids that bear no resemblance to trumpets.
Modern devices are well designed and effective when properly
chosen. Since various hearing impairments differ, it is important to find an
instrument suited to the wearer's specific needs. A specialist, not a salesman,
can give you the right advice. Consist
of having your own and your children's hearing tested at regular intervals and
of seeing your doctor the moment you or a child feel any pain, note any ear
discharge, experience any unusual buzzing, ringing, or pressure in the ear, or
become aware of any seeming diminution of hearing acuity.
