More Deafness Than Realised

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31782, 12 September 1968, Page 2

More Deafness Than Realised

Deafness is far more common in the community than people imagine, according to Mrs L. S. Birdling, senior teacher of lip reading in the Christchurch branch of the League for the Hard of Hearing.

Deafness Week, which will be held in Christchurch from September 16 to 20, is intended to make people curious about their level of hearing. Audiometrists of the Health Department will conduct free tests at Beaths Christchurch store. Although it will not be possible to have sound-proof conditions for testing, as there would be in a clinic, the tests will certainly indicate if more testing, or treatment, is necessary.

Many people would find they had rather more loss than they imagined, said Mrs Birdling who plans to take the tests herself, although she is fairly certain that her hearing is normal. Two types of deafness are prevalent. The first, bone deafness, which happens when the bones become fixed and cease to pick up the vibrations, is operable; the second, nerve deafness, which occurs when the nerves begin to deteriorate, is not operable. Nerve deafness, which affects people as they grow older, can be alleviated by a good hearing aid or by learning the art of lip reading. Both types benefit by early detection and treatment Bone

deafness sufferers become more and more deaf, and if they were not treated the nerves of their ears might eventually suffer damage, said Mrs Birdling.

People who suffered from nerve deafness would gain nothing from refusing to acknowledge their disability, said Mrs Birdling. Not Active

“If you do not hear well your hearing will suffer because the nerves are not kept active, and it is activity which keeps them healthy. “Some people insist that their hearing deteriorates when they wear an aid but it is just that they come to depend on their aid and are surprised when they return to their former world of halfhearing.” Women with a candid family probably detected their hearing defects more quickly than those living alone, especially if they were elderly and affected by nerve deafness, said Mrs G. S. Webb who was attending Mrs Birdling’s lip-reading class yesterday. Mrs Webb noticed some years ago that she could not hear some sounds very clearly which is quite usual with her complaint. She thought the

time had come to have some hearing tests and went to a clinic. She now wears an aid and has learnt to lip read. No Difficulty As she sat with the other two members of the class yesterday, Mrs Webb’s hearing aid was imperceptible and she had no difficulty in keeping pace with the conversation. Women, who were reputed to spend their whole lives talking, spent at least half their lives listening and good hearing was essential for amiable social contact, said Mrs Webb.

When people gave completely baffling answers to questions or inquiries it might mean that their hearing needed attention, she said. “I said to a friend the other day: ‘ls the name Julie?' and she answered, ‘Yes, she’s got the bug.’ ” Deafness need not be a handicap if the sufferers were sufficiently alert to do something about it Women, who usually had a more Independ-

ant streak, managed better than men, probably because their day-to-day social contacts meant more to them, said Mrs Birdling. “If you have a good aid and you can lip read, you get a pretty good coverage." In Time Lip-reading classes were best conducted when the pupils had some hearing, said Mrs Birdling. “It is best if they learn before their loss of hearing Is too great.” Lip-reading involved fairly close watching and concentration, though Mrs Webb thought it was a good thing for people who were getting elderly to have to concentrate on something. Members of the class agreed that those who were hard of hearing had an obligation to themselves and their families to learn to lip read, but their family and friends had an equal obligation to speak distinctly. Shouting never made things easier for those who had hearing difficulties.