We are all used to seeing people wearing hearing aids.
However, until very recently I had absolutely no idea about the medical process
behind diagnosing deafness. Although the particular cause of deafness I have
researched is actually exceedingly rare, the basic principles of hearing tests
and bone conduction are relevant to many causes of deafness. SSHL is so rare in
fact that not only had I not even heard of it until I started to do my presentation
research but found it very difficult to find information from credible sources
about it. One fact that came up time and time again though is that quicker a
diagnosis is made and treatment begins more chance a patient has of recovering
with limited emotional and medical impact. That is why I feel it is important
to raise awareness of this condition.
SSHL
is condition where an individual suddenly loses their hearing over a very short
period of time, normally ranging from immediate to three days. To diagnose
SSHL, a normal hearing test can be performed by a doctor where pure tones of
controlled intensity are delivered to the ears one at a time and the minimum
intensity needed for the patient to hear the tones are graphed. A device called
a bone oscillator is also attached behind the ear to measure mastoid bone
conduction. If the minimum intensity
needed for three consecutive
frequencies is 30 decibels higher than expected,
this can be diagnosed as SSHL.
 |
| Bone Oscilator |
There
is not a single cause of SSHL and very few patients ever know exactly what has
caused it for them. Some of the causes
include: trauma, ototoxic drugs (including some antibiotics),Cogan’s syndrome (
a rare disorder where the cornea is often inflammed), Meniere’s disease ( a
disorder of the inner ear) or the neurological disease Multiple Sclerosis.
 |
Carbogen
inhalation
|
If doctors can identify a cause for SSHL then they may use
steroids, antibiotics or a low salt diet ( a common suggestion for Meniere’s
disease patients) to treat them. New treatment however called Carbogen
Inhalation has been developed. This treatment seems to increase blood and air
flow inside the ear, which is what many researchers think in an underlying
cause of SSHL. However this treatment of
inhaled carbon dioxide and oxygen does not work for every patient, even though
some patients have recovered from SSHL using this treatment.
This
presentation propted a discussion amoungst the members of the society about the
treatment of deaf people in society stemming from the idea that none of us
could imagine how we would possibly cope if we suddenly lost one of our most
vital senses. Although there are
educational and practical provisions and policies in place for deaf students
and employees, we were unsure as to how effective these actually are in
allowing deaf people the same opportunities as those with full hearing.
Thankyou
for reading my article. If you have any insights or questions please feel free
to leave comments below.
Victoria Gresty
The Ebola crisis in West Africa has attracted a lot of media
attention over the eight months, but only recently has it made major headlines
with the infection of a British volunteer nurse Will Pooley who recovered from
the disease with the help of the new and largely untested drug ZMapp. This has
of course sparked controversy, as no West African patients have yet received
the drug. Although this has largely been due to lack of availability and the
fear of negative repercussions of using experimental drugs on those who
possibly lack the education, or are too young, to give informed consent to use
it, it has brought the question of who deserves the most cutting edge
treatments to light.
The Ebola Virus enters cells by attaching using minute
“spikes” on its outer surface and forcing the cell to engulf it. This is fast
acting and doesn’t normally leave the immune system time to respond. When the
virus has replicated inside the body, it causes severe abdominal pains, high
fever, and lack of appetite, weakness and sore throats. Victims usually die
within twelve days, although almost half manage to fight the disease in the
current outbreak. This outbreak has
claimed more lives than all the previous out breaks combined. And with ZMapp
not due to be tested until this winter, it will sadly claim more yet. 