听力障碍
Hearing loss
刘立军 供稿
u TRANSCRIPT
Vismita Gupta-Smith
What are the early signs of hearing loss? Can it be cured? And what can you do to protect your hearing? Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I am Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr. Shelly Chadha, today. Welcome, Shelly. Let’s get started with what are the early signs of hearing loss?
Dr. Shelly Chadha
Hi Vismita. Well, perhaps one of the earliest indications that you could have a hearing loss is when you are not able to make out very clearly what people are saying in a noisy place like a restaurant. If you go with friends and you have to keep asking them to repeat themselves because of the background noise and you can’t make out clearly, then that is when you should suspect that you could have hearing loss.
Also, if you have to frequently turn up the volume on your television or your radio or listening device that you are listening to music on, for example.
Another indication is if people are telling you that you speak loudly, that could also be an indication that you are developing hearing loss.
And finally, if you have a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in your ear, what is called tinnitus. Tinnitus could be one of the first indications that you have a hearing loss.
So if you have any of these signs, it’s important to take note of them and to get your hearing checked as soon as possible.
You could also check your hearing yourself, do an initial check using WHO’s free app, which is called “hearWHO”. So you can also use that app to do a first screening and see if you need to get
a hearing test done.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Shelly, can hearing loss be cured?
Dr. Shelly Chadha
Vismita, there are some causes of hearing loss that can be cured. For example, if you have wax obstructing in your ear making you feel a little blocked or if you have an ear infection or if the ear drum ruptures, these are things which can be treated by medicines or by surgery, but a lot of hearing loss cannot really be cured.
What can be done is that people with hearing loss can communicate better through the use of devices like hearing aids and cochlear implants.
What’s important for these interventions to be effective is that they should be initiated at the earliest possible.
And for that, it’s important that we get our hearing checked regularly and we watch for those signs of hearing loss that I already mentioned earlier.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
So, Shelly, talk to us about the steps we can take every day to protect our hearing.
Dr. Shelly Chadha
I’d like to start with what you should not do. So firstly, don’t use anything ― any Q-tips, cotton buds, pins, sticks to clean your ears. The ear is a self-cleaning organ. It doesn’t need to be helped with these. And actually they can lead to infection. That can lead to obstruction. They can lead to rupture of the ear drum. What you should also not do is: if you have an ear problem to use home remedies like putting oil into the ear.
Also don’t share ear plugs with others because that can transmit infection from one to the other. What you should do is to maintain the volume of your device. So if you’re using headphones or your phones, make sure you keep the volume below 60% of the maximum.
Whether you are using headphones or ear phones for work or for pleasure, this is a common principle across the board. It’s also important if you’re using it for listening to music to limit the amount of time you spend on it and try to monitor your listening with the use of inbuilt apps which are available on your phones. If you’re using the headphones for work, try to give your ears a break from time to time by using just the audio output of the computer to listen to a meeting or whatever it is you are listening to, if that’s possible. And make sure that you don’t keep using headphones again for leisure activities.
Also, when you’re in noisy places, use earplugs. Like if you’re going to a noisy club or a noisy party, make sure you carry your little earplugs along and use them. So these simple tips can actually help us by making sure that we hear well today and keep hearing well across the course of our life.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you, Shelly. Don’t forget to check the “hearWHO” app, which is free of cost. Until next time then, stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
u VOCABULARY
1. tinnitus n. (medical 医) an unpleasant condition in which sb. hears ringing in their ears 耳鸣
2. wax n. （耳）垢
3. rupture n. (medical 医) an injury in which sth. inside the body breaks apart or bursts （体内组织等的）断裂，破裂
4. cochlear adj. 耳蜗的
5. Q-tip n. 棉花棒；棉签
6. cotton bud: a small stick with cotton wool at each end, used for cleaning inside the ears, etc. （用于清洁耳朵内部等的）棉签
7. obstruction n. the fact of blocking a road, an entrance, a passage, etc. 堵塞，阻挡（通道等）
uQUESTIONS
TASK 1: 判断
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Then correct the false statements.
1. One of the earliest signs that you may have a hearing loss is if you cannot hear clearly what people are saying in a quiet place such as a restaurant.
2. If people tell you that you speak slowly, this could be a sign that you are developing a hearing loss.
3. Tinnitus could be one of the second signs of hearing loss.
4. Some causes of hearing loss can be cured. However, many hearing losses cannot be cured.
5. People with hearing loss can communicate better with the help of devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.
6. The ear is an organ that cleans itself.
7. If you’re using headphones or your mobile phone, keep the volume below 66% of maximum.
8. If you’re in noisy places, use earplugs.
9. The “hearWHO” isn’t a free app.
TASK 2: 选择
Choose the best answer.
1. What are some signs that could indicate a possible hearing loss according to the speaker?
A. Feeling dizzy in a noisy environment.
B. Having trouble hearing in a quiet place.
C. Having to turn up the volume on devices.
D. Feeling pain in the ears while listening to music.
2. What is the speaker’s view on the possibility of curing hearing loss?
A. Hearing loss can always be cured by medication.
B. Most causes of hearing loss can be cured.
C. Hearing loss can never be cured.
D. Hearing loss can only be cured through surgery.
3. According to Dr. Chadha, what are the potential risks of using Q-tips, cotton buds, pins, or sticks to clean your ears?
A. They can cause an obstruction in the ear canal
B. They can damage the eardrum
C. They can lead to an infection in the ear
D. Both B and C
u KEY
TASK 1: 判断
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F). Then correct the false statements.
(F) 1. One of the earliest signs that you may have a hearing loss is if you cannot hear clearly what people are saying in a quiet place such as a restaurant.（正确表达）One of the earliest signs that you may have a hearing loss is if you cannot hear clearly what people are saying in a noisy place such as a restaurant.
(F) 2. If people tell you that you speak slowly, this could be a sign that you are developing a hearing loss.（正确表达）If people tell you that you speak loudly, this could be a sign that you are developing a hearing loss.
(F) 3. Tinnitus could be one of the second signs of hearing loss.（正确表达）Tinnitus could be one of the first signs of hearing loss.
(T) 4. Some causes of hearing loss can be cured. However, many hearing losses cannot be cured.
(T) 5. People with hearing loss can communicate better with the help of devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants.
(T) 6. The ear is an organ that cleans itself.
(F) 7. If you’re using headphones or your mobile phone, keep the volume below 66% of maximum.（正确表达）If you’re using headphones or your mobile phone, keep the volume below 60% of maximum.
(T) 8. If you’re in noisy places, use earplugs.
(F) 9. The “hearWHO” isn’t a free app.（正确表达）The “hearWHO” is a free app.
TASK 2: 选择
Choose the best answer.
1. What are some signs that could indicate a possible hearing loss according to the speaker?
A. Feeling dizzy in a noisy environment.
B. Having trouble hearing in a quiet place.
C. Having to turn up the volume on devices.
D. Feeling pain in the ears while listening to music.
【答案】C
【解析】发言者提到可能存在听力障碍的迹象之一是需要经常调高设备的音量，如电视、收音机或音乐播放器等。选项A不正确，因为发言者没有提到在嘈杂的环境中感到头晕是听力障碍的迹象。选项B不正确，因为发言者明确提到是在嘈杂的环境中有听力困难。选项D不正确，因为发言者没有提到感到耳朵疼痛是听力障碍的迹象。
2. What is the speaker’s view on the possibility of curing hearing loss?
A. Hearing loss can always be cured by medication.
B. Some causes of hearing loss can be cured.
C. Hearing loss can never be cured.
D. Hearing loss can only be cured through surgery.
【答案】B
【解析】发言者提到了一些导致听力丧失的病因，比如耳垢堵塞、感染和耳鼓破裂等，它们可以通过药物或手术治疗。然而，发言者也指出许多听力丧失病因无法真正治愈。发言者建议有听力障碍的人可以通过使用助听器和人工耳蜗等设备来促进沟通。正确答案是B，因为发言者表示一些听力丧失的病因可以被治愈。选项A和D不正确，因为发言者没有表示听力丧失总是可以通过药物治愈或仅通过手术治愈。选项C不正确，因为发言者提到了一些听力丧失可以治愈。
3. According to Dr. Chadha, what are the potential risks of using Q-tips, cotton buds, pins, or sticks to clean your ears?
A. They will cause an obstruction in the ear canal
B. They can damage the eardrum
C. They can lead to an infection in the ear
D. Both B and C
【答案】D
【解析】在录音中，Chadha医生提到使用棉签、棉花棒、针或棍子清洁耳朵可能会导致感染和鼓膜破裂。因此，选项B和C是正确的，答案是D。选项A不正确，因为Chadha医生提到使用这些物品可能会导致耳道阻塞，而不是一定会导致。
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