Abstract
The last four years have, as envisaged by Dr Watson, seen a rapid growth in ‘Audioiogy in the Community’. The high prevalence of hearing loss in the community, especially in the elderly, has been indicated by the pilot epidemiological study of the Institute of Hearing Research. This and other studies suggest that in the over-seventies as many as three out of five have a hearing loss sufficient to impair ordinary communication. However, the numbers having and using hearing aids falls far short of this.
Assistance for the profoundly deaf will, it is hoped, come through the research studies on electrical stimulation of the cochlea. In the meantime Vistel, television captioning and similar exercises in exploiting advances in technology enhance the quality of life of those with profound loss.
Help for those suffering from tinnitus has improved greatly in the last four years, partly through recognition that the difficulties are real, and partly through the increasing use of hearing aids and maskers to overcome the debilitating consequences of this condition.
Preventative measures progress steadily, as do efforts towards the earlier detection of hearing loss in infants and children.