The benefits of modern hearing aids

1. Hearing aids try to emulate natural voices and sounds. They no longer have micro phonic sounding tones. They are custom made to suit each user and have an excellent signal to noise ratio.
2. They are as invisible or visible as the user wants them to be. Many hearing aids are discreet and can be placed comfortably in the ear canal. There are a variety of styles in hearing aids to serve users cosmetically. Hearing aids today are glamorous and can make a style statement too!
3. Today’s hearing aids are digital and adapt automatically to different listening environments from one to one conversation in a quiet area to noisy market places or even theatres.
4. Hearing aids these days are highly compatible wirelessly with smart phones, computers and TVs. One can hear the TV directly into their hearing aids through blue tooth connectivity.
5. Music lovers can tune in to music from their smart phones or computers. Accessories are available at nominal prices to make these connections happen.
6. Most hearing aids work on batteries that have a varied life. Newer machines are rechargeable and can be charged like your phone and they are ready for use in the morning if charged overnight.

How to care for your hearing aid

These tiny appliances require the individual using them to keep their ears devoid of wax and moisture. They have to be removed while sleeping and bathing. The ear piece of the ‘completely in the canal’ hearing aids and ‘receiver in the canal’ hearing aids have a wax guard that prevents the ear wax from entering the hearing aid. At night, keep your devices in moisture absorbent containers that come with the hearing aids. There are many accessories that come with the hearing aid at time of purchase, which can be used periodically to clean the machine. The battery life of the hearing aid depends on the hearing aid model, usage and care of the machine. Hearing aids usually come with two years warranty. They also require yearly reprogramming to suit individual needs better. Your hearing wellness professional/ audiologist will take care of the servicing and reprogramming needs that come up from time to time.

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Parents today either do not have the time or have simply forgotten the value of playing with their children. Children too find themselves being  dropped and picked from school to crèches to extra classes. Any free time that they have is spent watching TV or glued to a screen. In the quest to give their child the best of everything, parents often lose out on giving them the most precious gift of all—one-to-one time with their child. And one of the best ways to spend with your kids is to play with them.

Studies show that children spending at least an hour everyday playing in a natural and interactive way tend to have higher intelligence and stronger interpersonal skills than others. Play is considered the medium through which children express themselves. Parents can use play as an effective technique to communicate with their children and help them develop their verbal communication skills too. Creative and make-believe play helps children think out of the box and use common objects and toys in ways that are unique to them.

Play can be of several types and develops as the child grows.  Stages of play are as follows:

1. Solitary Play (0 – 2 yrs): Child usually plays on her own and is not interested to share toys or play with others.
2. Spectator Play (2 – 2.5 yrs): Child observes others and tries to imitate them.
3. Parallel Play (2.5yrs – 3 yrs): Children play side to side but in their own ways and do not interact, often seen in playgroups and nurseries.
4. Associate Play (3- 4 years): Children are playing the same game but will not interact with each other.
5. Cooperative Play (4 – 6 yrs): Children are interacting with each other and use their social communication skills to express themselves.

There are different ways play can be used for stimulating your child. The types of play are as follows:

• Toy/ Object play: This uses toys and objects like balls, dolls, toy vehicles, animals or other objects and use them meaningfully.
• Story telling: Telling stories using puppets is an effective technique that encourages the child’s creativity as they express the role of their puppets according to the story.
• Role play techniques: Enacting super heroes or other characters from stories has a positive effect on the child’s self-confidence and develops their public speaking skills. It is often used in nurseries and schools on their annual days.
• Creative arts technique: Children can express themselves using different mediums like drawing, colouring, painting, etc. This technique is widely used for non-verbal children. Art expression is a natural and spontaneous way of communication for children with emotional disturbances like anxiety, stress, learning disability, etc. Other art forms such as  dancing and working with clay are also used.
• Imagery techniques: This technique uses dolls and doll houses or farm animals in a farm set up or a traffic scene or other make-believe situations. The child plays creatively using his/her unique experiences and communicates about them.
• Communication games: These games can be tailor made to suit each child according their age and ability. Open-ended questions or situations can be used to initiate the child’s response to help them discover how they see their world from their own eyes; these might just be simple games of introducing themselves and saying what they like to do in their free time.
• Desensitisation methods: If the child is afraid of certain situations like darkness or crossing the road for instance, different stories and role plays can help simulate these situations and try to ease the child’s fear.
• Sports: Different sports can be taken up like swimming, football, basketball, cricket, etc . to encourage more outdoor time. These team sports are excellent in developing team skills, communication and group work.

If you are a parent, try to devote at least an hour playing with your child each day; besides sharpening your children’s cognitive and interpersonal abilities, it also acts as a great stress-buster for you. Spending time with your children helps you to think out of the box. So before you buy your child another gadget for a gift this season, think about how you can give him or her the gift of playtime with you.

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Why is voice training important?

Our voice is one of our greatest assets. A good voice makes an excellent first impression and helps to hold the attention of the listener. We all have favourite voices that we love to hear over and over again. These voices can be of singers, actors, radio jockeys and even news readers.

Similarly, a voice can also attract unwanted attention. For e.g., if one is talking too softly or too loudly. A loud voice is considered rude and a nuisance whereas a feeble voice is a sign of low self-esteem and lack of confidence. Voice lacking in rhythm may sound monotonous and boring.

There are professions that have always depended heavily on their voice for their success—actors, singers, dubbing artists and radio jockeys. But now, more than ever, knowing how to use your voice efficiently is a valuable skill regardless of your profession. Hence taking care of your voice is of utmost importance.

The first step in voice training is to be aware of how your voice sounds like to others. Let’s understand the mechanics of voice.

How is voice produced?

Voice is an additional function of our breathing apparatus. We breathe in through our nose. This air goes through the nasopharynx into the oropharygnx and enters the lungs through the windpipe. During exhalation the air makes its way out in reverse direction. While passing through the larynx [the voice box] the passing air vibrates the vocal folds and voice is generated, which is further shaped into different sounds by the position of the oral structures like the tongue, lips and mouth opening.

Why does every voice sound different?

Each person’s voice is unique and is often used as a personal identification in many software programs. Voice is characterised by its pitch [frequency], loudness [decibel level] and intonation [rhythm]. Men have lower frequency as compared to women; children have a very high frequency. This is the reason the voice of man, woman and child sound so different. It is embarrassing if a man’s voice starts sounding like woman’s and vice versa. Also, if the voice of a boy does not change post puberty to a manly sounding voice, it can become a source of embarrassment.  

What can go wrong with your voice?

An abnormal pitch, loudness, or poor voice quality are some of the problems people suffer from. Certain medical conditions can cause structural changes in the vocal tract and lead to voicing problems. These structural changes can be vocal cord paralysis, cancer of vocal cords, vocal atrophy, injury or trauma, vocal cord infections, etc.

Voice disorders can also be a result of misuse of voice, which can be prevented effectively. Symptoms of voice disorders due to misuse of voice are:

1. Pain or difficulty while swallowing
2. Feeling that there is something stuck in your throat
3. Frequent hoarseness
4. Voice loss
5. Vocal fatigue towards the end of the day
6. Voice cracking or pitch breaks.

Here are a few tips to take care of your voice

• Since voice is dependent on our breathing, deep breathing and voicing techniques greatly affect how our voice sounds
• Avoid frequent and long-term exposure to noisy environments that force us to raise our voices while talking
• If you prone to throat infections, get them treated promptly and make the necessary lifestyle changes to avoid repeat infections. Avoid cold foods and drinks. Also avoid too much coffee, tea and colas as they tend to dry the mouth and vocal cords too
• Always prefer to use a microphone when addressing a group of people—this will prevent your vocal cords from being overused. Keep your vocal tract constantly hydrated, especially if you are in a speaking profession
• Be attentive to signs of vocal fatigue and give your voice rest promptly. Hoarseness of voice, needing to clear the throat frequently, sudden drop in voice quality are signs to watch for
• Your posture can have a huge impact on your voice. Make sure you maintain the right posture while speaking. Your body should be relaxed but not slouched, shoulders should be drawn back and neck should also be relaxed.

Keeping a track of how much do you use your voice throughout the day is a good idea. Take care of your general wellbeing by eating healthy in order to avoid acid reflux.

In short, love your voice and it will love you back. Take care of your voice for better voicing and to prevent voice disorders.

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