4^thEuropean Otolaryngology-ENT Surgery Conference

Audiology

Ototoxicity is the property of being toxic to the ear, specifically the cochlea or auditory nerve and sometimes the vestibular system; it is commonly medication-induced. Deaf blindness is a combination of sight and hearing loss that affects a person’s ability to communicate, to access all kinds of information, and to get around. Deaf blindness is not just a deaf person who cannot see, or a blind person who cannot hear. The two impairments together increase the effects of each. People of all ages can have a sight or hearing impairment. It may have been from birth, or due to deterioration later in life. But most deaf blind people have some vision and hearing. According to the American Academy of Audiology, one in three people over the age of 60 experience   some type of age-related hearing loss. In people over the age of 85, this number increases to one in two. Age-related hearing loss is also known as presbycusis. Although age-related hearing loss is not a life-threatening condition, it can have a significant impact on your quality of life if left untreated.