BAZA MUGANGA

What are the early indications of age related hearing loss (presbycusis)? In the initial stages, a person with hearing loss may have difficulty in understanding words. He/she is often able to hear the sounds but unable to make out the words. This may be more evident when the background noise is high (eg in a restaurant). Such a person may also start speaking in a louder voice than normal, without being aware of it. A ringing sensation in the ear (tinnitus) and inability to hear high pitched sounds can also indicate presbycusis. When should I get my ears tested? You should get your ears tested if: you often have to ask people to repeat themselves find yourself raising the volume of the television to higher than normal levels regularly miss parts of conversations experience a ringing sensation in the ear (tinnitus) people tell you that you are speaking loudly. Can age-related hearing loss be reversed? Can it be treated? Age related hear...

Q. How can I keep my child's ears clean? A. The ear is a self-cleaning organ and does not require any active cleaning. The ear only needs to be cleaned from outside. No object or fluid should be inserted or instilled into the ears, unless prescribed by a health professional. Q. Why does my child get pain in the ear? A. Pain in the ear can be caused by problems such as: impacted cerumen (wax) in the ear; acute infection in the ear canal; acute infection of the ear drum; or because of fluid in the middle ear. In order to identify the problem, your child should be taken for an ear check-up. Ear pain should not be ignored as it can lead to serious problems. Q. How can I prevent ear infections in my child? A. Most ear infections can be prevented by taking good care of our ears. Some important things to remember are: do not let dirty water enter the ear; do not slap a child, especially over the ears, as it can damage the ear drum, thereby encouraging infections; ensu...