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Welcome to the HealthInsite Newsletter.
You might wonder how we choose the themes for the newsletter. Sometimes the themes choose themselves like issues related to that particular time of year, for example hay fever in spring. It could be a topic that has been in the media recently or something that one of our users has suggested. But sometimes one of us will suggest a topic based on a recent experience. Last month a conversation with my father made me realise how hearing loss affects the lives of a large number of Australians. Given that it's also Hearing Awareness Week, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to look at the hearing loss resources available on HealthInsite. We also look at accessibility testing - what it is and why it's important.
Please feel free to also let us know if you have any problems or if you have any suggestions for future editions by sending an email to
mailto:healthinsite.feedback@health.gov.au
IN THIS ISSUE Volume 2, Issue 2
Hearing Loss
It all started with a plan to throw a party for my dad's 65th birthday - a good excuse for family and old friends to get together for a celebration. At first he was enthusiastic but as we talked he began to feel it wasn't such a good idea after all. He finally told me what the problem was. When he's in a social situation where there is background noise, he can't make out what people are saying. Asking people to repeat themselves all the time is embarrassing so it's easier to avoid social events. I know that his hearing isn't as sharp as it used to be (he turns up the volume on the TV to hear the news) but I had no idea that hearing loss was affecting his life to the point where he isn't able to enjoy simply catching up with friends.
I've since found that one in five Australians over the age of 15 have some degree of hearing impairment. Many people with hearing loss experience a drop in self-esteem and confidence because of their impaired ability to communicate with other people.
According to myDr, the early warning signs of a hearing loss include:
- You can hear but not understand.
- You find it much harder to hear in noise and groups of people.
- You have difficulty understanding people unless they are facing you.
- You think people mumble or slur their words.
- You have to ask for repetition a lot.
- You need the TV up louder than others.
- You find you have misunderstood the topic and are embarrassed when you say the wrong thing.
- You avoid group meetings, social occasions, and even family gatherings because you have difficulty hearing.
- You don’t hear the phone or door bell ring unless you are close to it.
- You have head noises, such as buzzing or ringing sounds (tinnitus).
If you think you may be suffering hearing loss you should:
- See your doctor to check there is no obvious blockage in your ears, such as impacted wax or ear infection, that can be treated.
- See an audiologist for an expert assessment and advice. Children, war veterans and most pensioners are eligible to be seen at an Australian Hearing (formerly National Acoustic Laboratories) centre.
Children under 21 and most pensioners and war veterans are eligible for hearing help from Australian Hearing. There are permanent or visiting Australian Hearing centres in all capital cities and in many large towns around Australia. For more information, just ring 131 797 to be connected to the centre nearest you.
People not eligible for Australian Hearing help can arrange to see an audiologist at a hospital that has an Audiology Clinic, or consult an audiologist in private practice (look under ‘Audiologist’ in the Yellow Pages).
HealthInsite has several topic pages and lots of resources that you might find useful:
Hearing Impairments
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Hearing_Impairments
Hearing Impairments in Children
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Hearing_Impairments_in_Children
Hearing Services
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Hearing_Services
Meniere's Disease
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Meniere_s_Disease
Tinnitus
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/topics/Tinnitus
Useful topics from our partners include:
Hearing Health
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Section=HearingHealth
Understanding Hearing Loss
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?article=3248
Causes of Hearing Loss
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=3246
Hearing Loss - What to tell your colleagues
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hearing_loss_what_to_tell_your_colleagues
Hearing Loss - Communicating with a hearing impaired colleague
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hearing_loss_communicating_with_a_hearing_impaired_colleague
Hearing Loss - Workplace tips for managers
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hearing_loss_workplace_tips_for_managers
Hearing loss affects a person's enjoyment of life
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hearing_loss_affects_a_person's_enjoyment_of_life
Hearing Awareness Week 22 - 28 August
Hearing Week is an event held each year to raise community awareness of hearing impairment and ways to protect your hearing. Hearing Awareness Week gives these members of the community the chance to share their experiences, knowledge and help to create a greater understanding of their needs and aspirations.
The theme for Hearing Awareness Week this year is ‘Babies Can’t Wait to Communicate’.
Hearing Week aims to assist affected people to assist affected people to feel better about themselves, be less likely to retreat from the world, hide their disability or pretend it doesn't exist. It also aims to educate the general public about ways of reducing the incidence of hearing loss or chronic ear disorders and about measures that can be taken to improve the quality of life for those affected. Further information is available from Australian Hearing at:
http://www.hearing.com.au/
Information about the Causes of Hearing Loss can be found at:
http://www.hearing.com.au/hearing_health_causes.htm
Protecting Your Hearing
While there are a number of possible causes for hearing loss, exposure to excessive noise is one of the main factors. The following links provide useful information about precautions that you can take to protect your hearing.
Causes of Hearing Loss
http://www.hearing.com.au/hearing_health_causes.htm
Caring for your ears
http://www.mydr.com.au/default.asp?Article=3241
Ways to protect your hearing
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Ears_ways_to_protect_your_hearing
Turn the volume down and protect your hearing (available in a number of languages other than English)
http://mhcs.health.nsw.gov.au/health-public-affairs/mhcs/publications/5260.html
Keeping your ears safe from noise ( great resource for young children)
http://www.cyh.com/cyh/kids/main.html?topic_id=1553&l1=2
Music to your ears (great resource for young people)
http://www.cyh.com/cyh/youthtopics/usr_index0.stm?topic_id=1406
Your Feedback
This month we received an email from someone who had been bitten by a spider. He wondered if it was likely to be serious and if the nausea he was experiencing was likely to be caused by the bite. In the past we've also had emails from people experiencing chest pains or serious injuries involving blood loss.
As we've mentioned before, we are unable to give medical advice. In these circumstances it is always best to seek advice from your health professional as quickly as possible rather than waiting for an email reply.
In Brief
Seniors can have a free hearing check during
Hearing Awareness Week 23-27 August.
Call 131 797 to make an appointment.
Partner Spotlight
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency
Have you ever wanted a bit more information about the effects of UV radiation and what the labels on various sun protection products mean?
Are you confused by conflicting media reports about the possible dangers of radiation from mobile phones?
This month we take a look at the agency that can answer some of you questions and help you sort fact from fiction.
Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) was established by the Australian Government as the agency with responsibility for protecting the health and safety of people, and the environment, from the harmful effects of radiation. The ARPANSA home page can be found at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au
We've also included links to a few particular topics that you might find useful.
General fact sheets about the effects of radiation on health can be found at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/rad_health.htm
Over exposure to ultraviolet radiation can cause short term health effects such as sunburn. Long term exposure to ultraviolet radiation can increase the risk of damage to the skin and eyes which may result in skin cancers and cataracts. UV-Index is a measure of the maximum daily level of ultraviolet radiation (UVR). The Australian UV-Index can be found at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/uvindex/daily/ausuvindex.htm
Specific information about Mobile Telephones and Health Effects can be found at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/is_phone.htm
Information about Electromagnetic Fields and Possible Adverse Health Effects is available at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/is_emf.htm
A series of fact sheets based on substantiated scientific research has been prepared to help explain the current thinking on mobile phone communications and health is available at:
http://www.arpansa.gov.au/eme_pubs.htm
Latest Resources
The HealthInsite team regularly adds new items to the database including
new information partners, new topic pages and news items. You can
find a list of new and updated material added to the database in the
past month at:
http://www.healthinsite.gov.au/search/newsletter_search.cfm?id=16
Hot Tip - What is Web Accessibility?
This month's hot tip is about web accessibility. It's not a term that most of us would use too often in the normal course of our lives, but it's a critical element to consider when designing a website and one that HealthInsite takes very seriously.
Web accessibility means that a website should be designed so that it can be easily used by anybody. According to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, individuals and organisations who provide goods and services over the Internet need to think about how they make their websites accessible to people with disabilities. Almost one in five Australians has a disability, and the proportion is growing.
The standard for web content accessibility is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, which were devised by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). The guidelines are available at: www.w3.org/tr/wai-webcontent
The W3C guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities. However, following them will also make web content more available to all users, whatever hardware and software they are using to access the Internet or constraints they may be operating under. Utilising these guidelines will also help people find information on the web more quickly. These standards do not discourage content developers from using images, video, etc., but rather explain how to make multimedia content more accessible to a wide audience.
From 1 December 2000, all websites were to follow the W3C guidelines to a sufficient extent that they pass recognised tests of accessibility.
HealthInsite meets Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
For further information about web accessibility you might like to take a look at the Australian Government Information Management Office at:
http://www.agimo.gov.au/practice/mws/accessibility
What's on next month?
Next month we might celebrate spring with some great ideas for enjoying the warmer weather.
That's it for now,
from all of us at HealthInsite.
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