ENT

2 weeks of Ear-Nose-Throat Surgical placement has begun and and I really hope I can see this happening in clinic!

Warning : v.v. adorable kid (The importance of hearing and eventually, listening :) )

The importance of hearing

Quote from "ABC of ENT" : "A baby born deaf in both ears cannot learn to speak without special help and normal language development will be impossible if the deafness is severe. A child with good speech will almost certainly lose it if severely deafened in the first years of life.... Deafness is one of the cruellest forms of sensory deprivation. Unlike blindness, it often provokes ridicule rather than sympathy and understanding. Unable to hear what is said, and unable to control his or her own voice, the severely deaf person may appear to others to be distracted and disengaged at best, mentally deficient at worst. Isolated from family and friends and greeted by unsympathetic attitudes, he or she often becomes depressed. Tinnitus ('ringing' in the ear/s), which often accompanies deafness and is rarely found without it, can cause distress as great as that from lack of hearing."

The next time you encounter a hearing-impaired patient, try empathising for a tic =)