How did it happen?The change from the world of sound to the world of silence is traumatic. Some people have said, "I felt like a goldfish in a glass bowl with people and the world moving silently around" or, "I thought I was drowning in a sea of silence".Deafness can affect anyone at any time. For some it comes suddenly, overnight, or over a few weeks or months. For others it may be a far longer process but with the same ultimate effect. It may be due to an accident involving head injury, the side effects of drug therapy, a virus infection or other illness. The study of genetics is developing new opportunities in many areas of health, and the study of inherited deafness is the subject of ongoing research. Becoming deafened is usually a more traumatic change than the gradual loss of hearing which affects many people as they get into their 60s and 70s. The transition from the state of being hard of hearing to profound deafness can be a slow and insidious process. There is no defined boundary. Those who use hearing aids can find they constantly need changing, and eventually find that even the most powerful aids are not much help. In such a case a cochlear implant may well be indicated. Hearing loss can be very personal as you find that your perception of sound has changed, and you find that what you previously took for granted no longer exists. Previous / Next Back to Contents |