The Phantom Sound

Have you ever experienced hearing sounds in your ears which you are so sure that nobody else is hearing it as well? It could be a ringing, buzzing, hissing, chirping, whispering, blowing of the wind sound, or to quote a patient, dengar orang mengaji dalam telinga (hearing someone recite the Quran). That last part was quite random, but for the other sounds, they are quite common complaints. In fact, my niece and partner are experiencing the ringing sounds.

This hearing symptom is called tinnitus. Tinnitus is sound heard in the ears which are not externally stimulated. It is a phantom auditory perception. Almost everyone has tinnitus; but it could either be normal tinnitus or pathological tinnitus.

Normal tinnitus is experienced by most people. It occurs less than 5 minutes, less than once a week and is not associated with hearing loss.

On the other hand, pathological tinnitus occurs more than 5 minutes, more than once a week and usually heard by people with hearing loss. The severity ranges from acceptable to unacceptable. By acceptable means that the sounds do not disturb you from doing tasks, while unacceptable means the sounds affect you to a point you have to stop doing whatever you are doing whenever it occurs. In this case, it is very frustrating for that person.

The duration of the tinnitus could be temporary, occurring only at a certain position and situation (e.g. when you're lying on your bed, preparing to sleep; when you're in a very noisy place). It could also be permanent, meaning it's there 24/7.

The causes of tinnitus varies: it could be due to noise exposure, Meniere's Disease, medication, food intake, lots of ear wax and idiopathic (unknown), even.

Usually, if the sounds heard are high pitched in nature, it is usually associated with high frequency hearing loss, while low pitch tinnitus relates to low frequency hearing loss. That's why if you are experiencing this symptom, it is advisable to immediately have your hearing assessed, as to ensure that your hearing is not affected and is not the cause of the tinnitus.

Referring to the pamphlet my coursemates did for our Audiology Seminar, there are several approaches for tinnitus management and treatment. They are:

1. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT) that includes directive/retraining counseling and sound therapy;

2. Masking of tinnitus using hearing aids (for those with hearing loss, of course), tinnitus maskers (apparently downloadable), tinnitus instruments;

3. Medication such as anti-depressant, anti-convulsant (tegretol, phenytoin, mysoline, depakene), anti-histamine (meclizine), vasodilators (gingko biloba, niacin);

4. Psychological treatment of cognitive therapy, cognitive restructuring, attention diversion techniques, imagery training, relaxation training, hypnosis;

5. Other treatments: TinniTool (developed in Switzerland, see picture below); Neuromonic; biofeedback; and electrical stimulation.



One particular treatment I would like to stress on would be the Sound Therapy as it is an easy, self-practised approach. The therapy facilitates tinnitus habituation by weakening the tinnitus signal. Patient is instructed to avoid silence and to enrich the background noise by listening to music, using table-top sound machines or wearable sound generators.

For the medication part, it is strongly advised to get them as medically consulted.

*Compliments to Chan Soon Chien, Suriya Mohamad, Tan Ping Meng and Ong Chun Suan @ the Purple Phantom :)

Kiss of Deaf

Someone sent me an e-mail, regarding a girl who got a kiss of deaf from her boyfriend. I guess that particular someone thought it might interest me as it is related to the field of hearing, and it did. Read on first before going through my thoughts :)

A young Chinese woman was left partially deaf following a passionate kiss from herboyfriend.


The 20-something from Zhuhai in Guangdong province arrived at hospital having completely lost the hearing in her left ear, said local reports.


The incident prompted a series of articles in the local media warning of the dangers of excessive kissing.


"While kissing is normally very safe, doctors advise people to proceed with caution," wrote the China Daily.


The doctor who treated the girl in hospital was quoted in the paper explaining what had happened.


"The kiss reduced the pressure in the mouth, pulled the eardrum out and caused the breakdown of the ear."


The chorus of warnings was echoed by the Shanghai Daily, which wrote: "A strong kiss may cause an imbalance in the air pressure between two inner ears and lead to a broken ear drum."


The young woman is expected to regain her full hearing within about two months.

Upon reading this, I just thought, there are so many holes in the story!

Did the girl realize she has hearing loss exactly after she kissed that guy? Was it her first time kissing her boyfriend? If it wasn't, was the kisses they had before were not as passionate as that 'kiss of deaf'? What was the girl's hearing history? Was the doctor even an ENT doctor?

It was reported that the girl is expected to regain her full hearing within about two months. What is the nature of the hearing loss? Conductive (temporary) hearing loss? Sensorineural hearing loss, meaning that it is sudden hearing loss?

These are just some of the questions that are flowing through my mind. It is just so bizarre! Especially since it is the first time I heard of this.

If it is really possible, then I advise all passionate kissers to take note. You won't want to be a deaf kisser now would you? ;P

xoxo!

Ladies, We Can Make a Difference!

Come join me, Nor, and many others to The Pink Sisterhood!
This one is all about breast cancer, which everyone knows is one of the most life-threatening diseases today. I’m doing my part in spreading awareness on breast cancer by sharing some scary yet so very true facts on breast cancer. Ladies, do take note!

* One in eight women or 12.6% of all women will get breast cancer in her lifetime.
* Breast cancer risk increases with age and every woman is at risk.
* Every 13 minutes a woman dies of breast cancer.
* Seventy-seven percent of women with breast cancer are over 50.
* Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women between the ages of 15 and 54,
and the second cause of cancer death in women aged 55 to 74.
* Risks for breast cancer include a family history, atypical hyperplasia, early menstruation
(before age 12), late menopause (after age 55), current use or use in the last ten years of oral
contraceptives, and daily consumption of alcohol.
* Early detection of breast cancer, through monthly breast self-exam and particularly yearly
mammography after age 40, offers the best chance for survival. Above facts taken from
Women’s Health Organisation Forum.

And now here is the tag and the rules:
1. Put the logo in your blog.
2. Add a link to the person who shared it with you.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.


I would like to share this specially with: -
1. Mas
2. Fadilah
3. Nora
4. Ayu
5. Atiqah
6. mashanapi

*and 1 more soon to come. I just realized I am not an avid blog follower. Just wrapped up in my own little world. Note to self: it's not just about you! hehe.

If At First You Don't Succeed, Dust Yourself Off and Try Again

I recently had my clinical exam. I was given an adult case. In the clinical exam, I have to perform basic audiology assessments which are otoscopy examination (to check the outer ear), acoustic immittance test (to check the middle ear and auditory pathway) and also the pure tone audiometry (hearing test). One hour was given to complete all that including giving feedback to the patient.

I had about two weeks to prepare for my session. So I studied and studied and hungout a few times in between studying. By the time it was my turn, I thought I was ready. Nervous, but ready. I thought that I had it in me to do well.

On that day, fate decided otherwise. I had an army as my patient; from the moment I was seated on the chair across him, he was hitting on me. Because of his irrelevant, inappropriate, unprofessional and gross behavior, I became a wreck. My nerves could not settle and I was so uncomfortable, I wanted to finish the session. Fast.

It wasn't a session I would treasure in my heart, and I don't feel like telling everybody who bothers to read this blog what I went through. But basically I didn't do well and the lecturers thought they were giving me a chance to repeat and perform my usual best.

Chance? Haha. If they hadn't given me that kind of patient in the first place, I don't think I would have needed to repeat. They even told me it was a good experience, something that I had experience first ahead of my coursemates. Ha ha. Aren't they just funny? At least they admitted that I am one of the best student. Thus, my ego was not totally bruised.

Oh, the lecturers also told me that, my session with the army was his third visit to the clinic. For the first session, it was with a male lecturer (so of course he wouldn't be hitting on him); second with a third-year student, and he didn't show the unnecessary behavior. Only with my session that guy behaved like that, which was a surprise to the lecturers as well. I concluded it was due to my natural beauty and adorableness that got him to act like he did. Another ego-booster, and yet the thought does not comfort me.

Looking back at it positively, maybe there is a reason on why I have to repeat. Maybe it is a way of telling me that there will be days when I can't be on top all the time. Sometimes you have to fall to appreciate success. And by repeating, I am going to study a lot more, and strengthen my knowledge.

Thanks to everyone who supported me, especially Nor. You're the best :)

Live Your Life

I am relating so much to this song after I went through my clinical exams.
Just as a motivation to self, even though the lyrics don't exactly reflect what I went through.
I especially liked the opening quotes in the videoclip.
Feel free to watch and listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQiQSaDs9aQ

Sweet Nothing in My Ear

I was going to study Hearing Aids when I took a breakie to see what movie my sister was watching. I immediately decided to watch the whole movie when I saw it was about a deaf child (naturally).

The movie is entitled as the above, starring Jeff Daniels, the only actor I recognized. It was released early this year (I think) and I watched it on HBO. Here's a synopsis of the movie.

It's about a couple, normal hearing husband (Dan) and deaf wife (Laura) with a deaf child (Adam). Adam is 8 years old. He was not born deaf; he lost his hearing at the age of 4 and had speech. Since then, he didn't use his voice at all and had been using sign language taught by his mother to communicate with his parents and other people who knows that language.

Laura was also born deaf to deaf parents. Her father was a writer who's very passionate about the deaf culture. He thought deaf people should only use sign language and those wearing amplification of hearing aids and cochlear implants are people who are ashamed to be deaf. He also thought that normal hearing people are prejudiced against the deaf people. Dan thought his father-in-law never really accepted him.

Anyway.

One day, Adam hurt himself while running for his balloon amidst shouts from Dan, which Adam of course could not hear. Dan brought him to the emergency room and told the doctor what happened. The doctor suggested for Dan to consider cochlear implants but Dan flat out refused, saying he accepted Adam the way he is.

Fast forward, Dan became interested in cochlear implants but this interest was not shared with Laura. Laura didn't think cochlear implants is the best option for Adam, even when she saw herself an implanted child during the switch-on session (switch-on session is the time when the electrodes implanted in the cochlear are activated). She just thought of the possibilities on how the implant would not benefit Adam, instead of the many opportunities Adam can have if he was implanted.

The idea of cochlear implants on Adam made the couple grew distant. Dan badly wanted Adam to hear again while Laura is the opposite. She even said to her friend, 'Maybe it would have been easier if Adam was born deaf' (omg!). Even both their parents noticed that there's something going on between Dan and Laura.

During a family dinner, as Dan passed the mashed potatoes to Adam, Adam suddenly said, 'Daddy' repeatedly and 'Daddy, thank you'. Everyone at the table was speechless (hihi! Pun intended. Ok, ok, they were shocked). As Dan answered his phone, Laura and her parents (who were also there) went to the kitchen to discuss about Adam suddenly speaking. As they fought using sign-language, Laura's parents then confessed that Laura actually had hearing as well when she was born. They didn't want to tell Laura that because they want Laura to believe that she was born deaf like them too (Adoy. Very proud deaf people, aren't they?)

Later on, as Dan and Laura were not seeing eye-to-eye on things anymore, they filed for a divorce and fought for custody battle. Dan admitted that if he gets Adam, he will have him implanted while Laura on the other hand said she will let him be deaf as he is.

I didn't like the ending. They didn't show what was the judge's decision. Instead, Dan went to see Laura and they reconciled. The end. No cochlear implant. No Adam growing up unimplanted and signing away. Duh.

I have to admit, it was pretty nice I guess, for a movie showing a part of audiologist scope of work. Good to learn how to give informative counseling and also on understanding parents with hearing impaired children. There are just so many issues to consider.

It was pretty cool how they always correct people who said 'deaf' to 'hearing impaired'. Deaf is just too blunt a word.

It was also cool how the movie showed how the hearing impaired people live- captions in a movie so that they too can watch movies in the cinema; and assistive listening device like the door alarm, where when the doorbell rings, the lights in the house will blink repeatedly.

Recommend it to everyone in the audiology field especially. I think we could always learn a thing or two from it.

Ok back to hearing aids, hehe.

Clinical Exam Fever

What are the chances of seeing the very word that I will be tested upon on a lorry?

Especially audiology terms?

Like, ZERO right?

But of course, chances are just chances.

Fate has decided to let me actually see the word RCG on a lorry.

Yeah, lorry.

How odd was that.

Except of course, I'm sure it means something else. But FYI, in audiology, RCG means Required Coupler Gain, of which we calculate to determine the amplification for hearing aids, in simpler terms.

I didn't know what the RCG on the lorry means as I think my heart stopped beating for a sec seeing the word. I was speechless. Honestly I did not want to know what it means anyway.

Basically, I think it's a sign for me to STUDY.

Okay, okay, I get it.

But I still want to watch a movie with bestie tomorrow. Haha.

Pray for me please! :(

The Better You Eat, The Better You Hear!

For this semester, final year students were divided into groups to present a topic for Audiology Seminar. Two groups did forums; the other two posters. Being the first group to 'register', my group did poster. The brilliant and beautiful people in my group are: Dalila, Muzlihah, Merlinda and Ee Ling. Our topic: Food and Hearing.

Haa. Food. That got your attention right?

Personally, this topic is so relevant. Everyone I met, okay, actually mostly the older adults that I met, would always ask on food that affect hearing. You'd think us audiology students would know. But we didn't. We weren't taught about this. But now ... thanks to ehem, my group's presentation ... we know. ;p

We worked our butts off for this presentation, seeing that nobody is an expert on this topic, including the lecturers. We strived to make the best presentation ever, and we really had fun doing it! It was the most enjoyable group work, thanks to the interesting topic. Kudos to Merlinda for suggesting it.

So. What are the food that affect hearing?

I'll just summarize what my group presented.

Firstly we handed out colourful pamphlets to everyone.

We presented on the BAD food. We explained mainly on two types of lipids - triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein - which research had proven are associated with hearing loss, as well as their underlying mechanisms.

Some of the examples of the BAD food are: alcohol, caffeine and high cholesterol food.



You need to eat well to hear well with the GOOD food. Food that can help reduce risks of hearing loss are categorized as anti-oxidant, vitamin B12, folate and herbs. The examples for these categories as shown on the poster are:
1. Folate: whole grain, spinach, nuts
2. Vitamin B12: broccoli, fish, milk
3. Anti-oxidant: blueberries, green tea, tomatoes, oranges, grapes
4. Herbs: ginkgo biloba



To help you understand better, here's a video. Enjoy~



The production crew caught in the act ;p (btw, the theme is pink, red and white, if you didn't notice)

Noise Damages Hearing

Upon working on a group assignment, one of my group members came across this video. I thought it's very cute, simple and straight-forward. You don't need to be an audiologist to understand it. It's less than a minute so do take a look. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b56kuLWPMQs

Conclusion: Take care of your hearing okay?! :)

Chicken Pox 101

As I have mentioned, I had chicken pox. It has been two weeks now. Today would be the 16th day. It has dried out but then some of the dead skin has not disattach itself from me.

The scar on my face. for MAS.
I decided to write in about the experience and what everyone has been advising me throughout the painless yet depressing ordeal.

The most important question: How did I get the chicken pox?

A day before the outbreak of the evil red spots, I hosted an open house for my dear friends. It was suspected initially that one of the guests brought the damned virus and spreaded it to me. It was further supported and theorized by the fact that i had an open wound (due to the lack of skill in opening lemang, which had become a joke for my father, tsk, tsk); so I was a sure-victim. The theory was acceptable to many especially odit, as he said I had the chicken pox because he couldn't come to the open house. Yes, odit, very funny.

It was also suspected that my eldest brother was the virus spreader as he had been complaining of having red spots all over his body. But then he confirmed that it wasn't chicken pox, just mild rash.

However, the theory was rejected totally by my friend, Nora who said I must have gotten the virus a week before the open house. Because the virus needs time to replicate. Therefore, I must have gotten it during the early days of Raya. I met a lot of people for Raya. Alas, the spreader could not be traced. Lucky for him/her for being spared from my wrath.

Anyway. I was given MC for a week. Thus, I spent much of the time in front of my laptop, telling anyone who bothers about my ailment. Some were always so thoughtful by asking how was I doing, which I very much appreciate. Thanks guys, you know who you are! Some even gave a nickname to it, two people to be exact, called it chicky. Quite geli but Mas and Mer seemed to enjoy saying it.

I had fruitful discussions as almost everyone I talked to contributed something in expanding my knowledge on chicken pox. Coincidentally that very weekend, Utusan Mingguan featured an article about chicken pox in the health section. But then the article was more to parents' awareness for their small children. Adults down with chicken pox like moi would not be affected much.

Apparently, there are some Dos and Don'ts in Chicken Pox as well.

The Dos:
1. Get MC as soon as you detect the red spots. Do not spread to other people. It is not nice and if somehow you spread it, the person who gets it will be very pissed off, especially if it's her second time (hrmm, this sounds a lot like me).
2. Use calamine lotion to cool down your body and ease the itchiness.
3. Use semambu leaves by blending it and rub it all over the dried spots. You can also bath with it. This helps to clear the scars.


The Indians usually use this leaves because they believed something about it that I don't know as my mother also did not elaborate (I think she also doesn't know but pretends she does! hehe). An acquaintance told me, use curry leaves as it is really effective in removing the scars. Duh, curry leaves? I think she meant the semambu leaves. Thanks anyway for your, erm. Thanks anyway.
4. Consume coconot drink. It was believed that coconut drink helps to recover back the fluid that you lost. Chicken pox is named cacar air in Malay after all. But this is not supported by research, according to the Utusan article.
5. Use Vitamin E oil as it also helps to remove the scars. I am using Natur E (Garden of Eden) and it has shown good results so far. Not immediately; nevertheless.
It can be purchased in pharmacies; don't expect it to be rm10 though.

Now, the Dont's:
1. SCRATCH. Period.
2. Eat oily food.
3. Eat seafood.
4. Eat chicken.
*These food are not good for the scars.
5. Eat soy sauce. It will make the scars black. Unpretty.
6. Go out or touch things or share food like you don't have chicken pox.
7. Cook or be anywhere near the kitchen when someone is cooking. The pox will pop if you do.

Hrmm. I think that's it. That's what I remember so far.

In relating chicken pox to audiology. If you have chicken pox while you are pregnant, your baby might develop hearing loss.

Chicken pox is so not nice.

Thesis Progress Presentation

If I need to describe it in one word: SUCCESS! :) (in the tone of that cartoon character, Dexter, hihi)
To quote my head of department, 'Well done, Nadirah.'
The Dynamic Duo of EduLink excelled once again, hehe.
Okay, enough of the bragging. Although I was praised, there were feedbacks as well from the lecturers.
Apparently, some of my lecturers are within the age range of 50 - 60 years old, which is my target population, which I sometimes refer as the elderly. They didn't like it. They didn't like to be referred as the elderly. Touchy much, hehe. So I need to always just say 'older adults' instead.
I need to review back the literature i used to support my thesis. I need to consider the age range of those studies. 50 - 60 year old is not the same as a 70 - 80 year old. Quoting Prof Kosta, 'In the Europe, 50 is the new 30, and 60 is the new 40'. Erm, yeah.
I need to refine my reference writing skills, apparently there's much to learn on the conventional way of referring journals.
My co-supervisor was concerned whether I have any problems in getting subjects. Proudly I explained on how my family members are very much involved so yeah, it's all good.
Basically nothing much, now need to focus on other presentations and clinical exams! Am freaking out here, people!