Hearing is one of our major senses that help us live in this world. The WHO reports that 5% plus of the population suffers from impairing hearing loss. As for the rest, more and more, the descriptive terms "hard of hearing" and "deaf" are widely used despite their ambiguity and different intensity of the effects. Understanding their nuances is important to offer right support and treatment to the hearing impaired.

Hearing loss can be either mild or profound, which significantly impacts a person's quality of life. "Hard of hearing" and "deaf" are two terms describing different degrees of auditory impairment, and their differences have to be known in order to provide appropriate support and care. Advances in technology and communication strategies continue to bridge gaps and ensure that individuals with hearing loss can lead fulfilling lives.

Prevention and management of hearing loss require regular hearing assessments, protective measures, and inclusivity. It's going to make the world a better place for everyone when we're aware of this and understand this.

Degrees of Hearing Loss

Hearing loss isn't an isolated condition; rather, it's as varied as degrees:

1. Mild Hearing Loss: Trouble hearing faint or soft noises like whispers or muffled speech.

2. The moderate hearing loss: Cannot understand speech at normal conversation without further assistance.

3. Severe hearing loss: Only can hear speech if it is louder than the normal volume; still able to hear loud speech.

4. Profound hearing loss: Can only hear extremely loud sounds that may just be heard, or cannot hear anything.

The term “hard of hearing” typically describes individuals with mild to severe hearing loss, where some auditory capacity remains. “Deaf,” on the other hand, refers to profound hearing loss, where individuals hear very little or nothing at all, significantly impacting their ability to perceive sound.

Symptoms of Being Hard of Hearing

Symptoms of hearing loss differ with the degree and age of onset. Adults who have hearing loss may find:

- Muffled sounds or a sense that speech is not clear.

- Difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments or group conversations.

- Often asking people to repeat themselves or speak louder.

- Turning up televisions, headphones, or other devices.

Some symptoms may include:

Children: May have delayed speech development and unclear articulation or repeat phrases such as "what?" or "huh?"

Babies: Often do not react to very loud noises or react delayed to the sources of noise or do not babble at one year old.

In children, hearing loss often can be detected in its initial phases. This enables intervention in the most efficient way with much support.

Causes of Hearing Loss

There are various causes of hearing loss:

Age

Natural degeneration of the ear structures.

Exposure to Noise

Prolonged exposure to loud sounds at work or during leisure activities.

Infections

Chronic middle ear infections, meningitis, or measles.

Maternal Infections

Conditions like rubella or cytomegalovirus (CMV) during pregnancy.

Injury

Trauma to the head or ear.

Medications

Certain antibiotics, chemotherapy drugs, and diuretics.

Congenital Conditions

Poorly developed ear structures or inherited conditions.

Physical Causes

Ear drum perforation or accumulated ear wax. Knowing the causes provides preventive measures, early intervention, and treatment.

Treatment and Communication Techniques

For individuals with hearing losses, there are various tools that can be used for self-management and enhancing one's communication:

For The Hard of Hearing

Hearing Aids: Amplification devices that assist individuals with mild to severe hearing loss to hear conversations clearly.

Assistive Listening Devices: Captioned phones or FM systems, which help people in noisy environments to communicate effectively.

Surgical Options: Some people can have damage repaired or a congenital condition corrected, which may restore their hearing.

For the Deaf

Cochlear Implants: Some patients with severe hearing loss will gain an ability to perceive some aspects of sound through cochlear implants.

Sign Language and Lip Reading: The majority of deaf individuals communicate most effectively using these tools. Inclusive communication practices help both groups, including speaking clearly, using gestures, and having visual cues available.

How to Prevent Hearing Loss

Though some causes of hearing loss cannot be avoided, most others are. Here are some protective steps for your hearing:

• Maintain TVs, headphones, and speakers at a normal level of volume.
• Put earplugs or noise-cancelling headphones in place during noisier environments.
• Move away from noisy areas and allow ears to rest. Defend against infections like measles and meningitis.
• Refrain from using cotton swabs on your ears so as not to damage them or get impaction from wax.
• Early detection through hearing tests may also be made prior to any significant loss happening.

How to Care for a Person with Hearing Loss

Dealing with someone with hearing loss requires patience and empathy. Always remember the following tips:

Speak clearly and naturally, but refrain from yelling as this will only distort sound.

- Reduce background noise in conversations.

- Make use of visual aids such as gestures and facial expressions.

- Position yourself in such a way that lip reading is possible if needed.

- Be patient and willing to rephrase if necessary.

Ben Sasse, former Senator, on Tuesday shared that he has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. His diagnosis came at Stage 4.

Is Ben Sasse's Cancer Terminal?

The former two-term senator, 53, revealed this in a social media or X, message: “This is a hard note to write, but since many of you have already sensed something, I’ll get straight to it: Last week I was diagnosed with metastasized, stage-four pancreatic cancer, and I am going to die.”

Stage 4 cancers are terminal and his terminal diagnosis was "hard for someone wired to work and build, but harder still as a husband and a dad," he said.

Stage 4 cancers are terminal because the cancer has metastasized, which means it has spread from its original site or the primary tumor to distant organs and tissues. This makes it extremely difficult to cure with localized treatments like surgery or radiation.

However, the American Oncology Institute does note that stage 4 cancer always does not have to be terminal, especially with breakthrough treatment options like targeted therapy, immunotherapy, or precision medicine. There are now also advanced surgical techniques that use minimal invasion procedures.

Also Read: Ben Sasse Diagnosed With Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer: What We Know About His Diagnosis

What Is The Chance Of Survival In Stage 4 Cancer?

According to the American Cancer Society, pancreatic cancer makes up about 3 percent of all cancers in the United States but accounts for roughly 8 percent of cancer-related deaths. Most patients are diagnosed at Stage 4, and the disease is widely regarded as largely incurable. Prostate cancer, by contrast, is the second most common cancer among men, and the majority of those diagnosed do not die from it. The five-year relative survival rate for non-metastasized prostate cancer is 97.9 percent, dropping to about 38 percent once it spreads. These figures highlight how early detection and effective treatment options make prostate cancer far more survivable than pancreatic cancer.

What Are The Treatment Options For Ben Sasse At Stage 4 Cancer?

While treatments including chemotherapy, radiation, and in rare situations surgery are available, stage-four pancreatic cancer is still considered largely incurable. The absence of effective early screening contributes to delayed diagnosis, and although a small number of patients, such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, have lived longer following surgery, these cases are rare. Well-known individuals including Alex Trebek and Aretha Franklin also battled the disease, which remains one of the deadliest cancers in the United States.

Former senator and former University of Florida president Ben Sasse announced on Tuesday, Dec. 23, that he has been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cancer, as per CNN News.

In the deeply personal message, the former Republican lawmaker from Nebraska described the diagnosis as a “death sentence,” while expressing appreciation for the steady support of his family and close friends.

“I’m fortunate to have incredible siblings and half a dozen friends who are truly like brothers to me. As one of them said, ‘Yes, you’re on the clock, but all of us are.’ Death is a cruel thief, and none of us escape it,” he added.

For many men trying to conceive, testosterone sounds like an obvious answer. It is often linked with strength, vitality, and male health, so the assumption is that higher levels must also support fertility. In reality, the opposite is often true. Medical experts caution that using testosterone, especially without supervision, can interfere with sperm production and quietly lower the chances of becoming a father.

To know more about the same, we got in touch with Dr. Ambavarapu Divya Reddy, Fertility Specialist, Nova IVF Fertility, LB Nagar, Hyderabad.

Can Increasing Testosterone Help You Conceive?

Dr. Ambavarapu Divya Reddy said, the short answer is no. Testosterone is a male sex hormone, but it does not support fertility in the way many people assume. In fact, taking testosterone can work directly against sperm production. For men who want children, using testosterone without expert guidance can quietly reduce fertility rather than improve it. Here is what doctors want patients to understand.

Why Testosterone Does Not Boost Fertility?

Testosterone is fundamentally opposed to male fertility when taken from outside the body. Using testosterone injections, gels, patches, or pellets suppresses the natural communication between the brain and the testicles that keeps sperm production going. Dr Reddy said, “When this system is switched off, sperm counts fall and in some cases drop to zero. Fertility declines instead of improving.”

This is why men who plan to have children should never begin testosterone therapy without speaking to a specialist.

How Does Sperm Production Work?

Sperm are produced in the testicles with the help of testosterone that is made inside the testicles themselves. This internal testosterone is tightly controlled by the brain through a hormone called luteinizing hormone, or LH.

Dr Reddy told us, when external testosterone is introduced into the body, the brain senses enough hormone is present and stops releasing LH. As a result, the testicles reduce their own testosterone production and sperm production slows or stops altogether.

In real-world practice, many men on testosterone therapy develop extremely low sperm counts or complete absence of sperm, known as azoospermia, often without any obvious symptoms. This is a well-recognised cause of male infertility and one that is largely preventable.

Low Testosterone And Fertility: What Doctors Do Instead

If a man truly has hypogonadism, meaning he has symptoms along with low testosterone levels on blood tests, treatment is still possible but must be handled carefully. Current guidelines from the AUA, ASRM, and endocrine societies strongly advise against starting standard testosterone replacement in men who want children in the near future.

Instead, specialists use treatments that can raise testosterone levels while allowing sperm production to continue. These include clomiphene, human chorionic gonadotropin or hCG, and other targeted therapies that stimulate the testicles rather than shutting them down. Updated guidance for 2024 and 2025 stresses identifying the cause of low testosterone and choosing options that protect fertility.

If you think you have low testosterone but want children

a) Do not self-prescribe testosterone.

b) Consult a reproductive urologist or endocrinologist.

c) Ask about fertility-preserving treatments such as clomiphene or hCG and consider sperm banking if timing matters.

d) If you have already used testosterone, request a semen analysis and hormone tests. Acting early can help guide recovery or fertility treatment.

Testosterone may seem like an easy solution, but external testosterone is a common and avoidable cause of male infertility. If having children is important to you, proper testing and specialist care matter. The treatment that relieves symptoms is not always the one that protects your ability to become a father.

A little-known virus is spreading steadily across different parts of the world, prompting growing concern among health experts. Often described as “untreatable” because there is no targeted antiviral medicine available, adenovirus is drawing attention due to how tough it is and how quickly it can pass from person to person.

Eric Sachinwalla, medical director of infection prevention and control at Jefferson Health, has cautioned that while most healthy individuals develop only mild illness, people in high-risk groups may face more serious health problems. This raises an important question: just how contagious is this mystery illness that is spreading?

Adenovirus: How Contagious Is It?

Yes, adenovirus is highly contagious and spreads with ease in several ways. It can pass through respiratory droplets released during coughing or sneezing, close physical contact such as hugging or shaking hands, and contact with contaminated surfaces like toys and towels.

It can also spread through fecal matter, particularly during diaper changes, and in some cases through water. According to the CDC, the virus spreads quickly in crowded settings such as schools and daycare centres and can survive for long periods on surfaces, making good hygiene especially important for young children and people with weakened immune systems.

Who Do Adenoviruses Affect Most?

Adenoviruses can infect people of all age groups, but they are most commonly seen in children under the age of five. In babies and young children, the virus often spreads in daycare environments where close contact is common. Children are also more likely to put shared objects in their mouths and may not wash their hands as regularly.

Among adults, adenoviruses tend to spread in crowded living conditions. People staying in dormitories or military housing may have a higher risk of infection. The virus is also known to circulate in hospitals and nursing homes, as per CDC.

Those with weakened immune systems are more likely to become seriously ill from an adenovirus infection. This includes people who have undergone organ or stem cell transplants, as well as those living with cancer or HIV/AIDS. Individuals with existing heart or lung conditions may also face a higher risk of severe illness.

Adenovirus: What Are The Symptoms Of An Adenovirus Infection?

The symptoms of an adenovirus infection depend on the part of the body affected. Most commonly, the virus targets the respiratory system. When it infects the airways, it can cause symptoms similar to a cold or the flu. These may include:

• Cough.
• Fever.
• Runny nose.
• Sore throat (pharyngitis).
• Pink eye (conjunctivitis).
• Ear infection (otitis media).
• Swollen lymph nodes.
• Chest cold (bronchitis).
• Pneumonia.

Adenoviruses can also infect the digestive system. When this happens, diarrhea may occur, along with gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis is inflammation of the stomach or intestines and can lead to stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

In rarer cases, adenoviruses can affect the bladder or the nervous system. Infection of the bladder may result in urinary tract infections. When the nervous system is involved, it can lead to serious conditions affecting the brain, including encephalitis and meningitis.