Although hearing is the process of sound travelling through our outer, middle and inner ear, it's our brain that interprets what we hear.

Each part of our ear plays a critical role in transmitting sound.

• Outer ear - the part you can see (the pinna) and the ear canal.
• Middle ear - the eardrum and three tiny connected bones (ossicles), which are often called the hammer, anvil and stirrup.
• Inner ear - the snail-shaped cochlea and the hearing nerve, as well as semi-circular canals that help with balance.

Our natural hearing depends on these parts working together. If you have a problem anywhere in this process, you may experience hearing loss.

As a parent, you always want the best for your child. Hearing plays a huge part in their emotional, social and intellectual development.

Early treatment may put your child's progress on par with their hearing peers — helping to give them equal opportunity to excel in life.

A hearing screening for newborns is important to avoid any unnecessary delays in treatment.

Potential etiologies of communication and swallowing disorders include

• Neonatal problems (e.g., prematurity, low birth weight, substance exposure)
• Developmental disabilities (e.g., specific language impairment, autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder);
• Auditory problems (e.g., hearing loss or deafness)
• Oral anomalies (e.g., cleft lip/palate, dental malocclusion, macroglossia, oral motor dysfunction)
• Respiratory compromise (e.g., bronchopulmonary dysplasia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Pharyngeal anomalies (e.g., upper airway obstruction, velopharyngeal insufficiency/incompetence)
• Laryngeal anomalies (e.g., vocal fold pathology, tracheal stenosis, tracheostomy)
• Neurological disease/dysfunction (e.g., traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, cerebral vascular accident, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
• Psychiatric disorder (e.g., psychosis, schizophrenia)
• Genetic disorders (e.g., Down syndrome, fragile X syndrome, Rett syndrome, velocardiofacial syndrome).

While talking with others

• You strain to hear or struggle to keep up with conversations.
• You find it difficult to hear amongst background noise.
• You often ask people to repeat what they've said.
• You mishear what people say.
• You agree or nod during conversations when you're not sure what's being said.
• You withdraw from conversations because it's too difficult to hear.
• You read lips to understand what people are saying.
• You feel that people are mumbling when they talk.

While doing everyday activities

• It's difficult to hear on the phone.
• You turn up the volume on the TV or radio louder than others in the room prefer.
• You can't hear the sounds of nature, such as rain falling or birds chirping.

When you're alone

• There is a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in your ear.
• It's hard to hear on one side.
• It's difficult to tell where sounds are coming from.
• Your voice sounds different.
• You feel pain or pressure in one or both ears.

Simple steps towards taking care of ears will help to prevent major hearing issues

1. Use ear plugs around loud noises

2. Keep the volume moderate while listening to music.

3. Give your ears time to recover from exposure to loud noises.

4. Take ear medication only as advised by a doctor.

5. Keep your ears dry after a bath or a swim.

6. Get regular ear checkup done if facing hearing issues.

Protect your hearing aids from dirt

Always make sure that your fingers are clean and dry before touching your hearing aid. The microphone input is very small and can become blocked through improper handling.

Protect your hearing aids from moisture

Remove your hearing aids before showering bathing or swimming. Due to the high ambient humidity, you should not leave the devices in the bathroom. Clean your ears occasionally before inserting the hearing aids. Please note that moisture and condensation may damage the electronics in your hearing aids.

Keep the devices away from children and pets

Store your hearing aids out of the reach of children and pets. Removed but not deactivated devices emit high sounds that may be aggravating to some dogs.

Avoid contact with hairspray or make-up

The fine particles of hairspray or powder make-up may clog the microphone input and volume control switch. Remove your hearing aids before using body care products.

Keep your hearing aids in a safe place

When your hearing aids are not in use, it is best to keep them in the drying set. Always carry the hearing aids in their case to protect them from damage and dirt. If you don’t use your hearing aids for a while, please remove the batteries.

Leave all repairs to an expert

Screwdrivers and oil are the enemies of all hearing aids. If they come in contact with the electronic or micro-mechanical systems, it will lead to irreparable damage. The delicate technology is very sensitive and can be destroyed due to improper handling.

The first signs of communication occur when an infant learns to cry for food, comfort and companionship. Newborns also begin to recognize important sounds in their environment, such as the voice of their mother or primary caretaker. As they grow, babies begin to sort out the speech sounds that compose the words of their language. By six months of age, most babies recognize the basic sounds of their native language.

Children vary in their development of speech and language skills. However, they follow a natural progression or timetable for mastering the skills of language. A checklist of milestones for the normal development of speech and language skills in children from birth to five years of age is included below. These milestones help doctors and other health professionals determine if a child is on track or if he or she may need extra help. Sometimes a delay may be caused by hearing loss, while other times it may be due to a speech or language disorder.