help ive lost my hearing in one ear can i claim any help money??

Lemony

I was just giving some random examples of hearing problems a person MIGHT have that MIGHT give them cause to claim DLA. I don't know exactly how the OP's hearing problem affects them, but yes, I agree that these examples might not be relevant in the OP's case. I have no idea how hearing loss in one ear affects hearing in the other ear. It might still be difficult to hear things sometimes or the person may have balance problems... I don't know?

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

sh1305 wrote: »

But the other ear would compensate for this, surely?

Not really. Not initially at least. Humans have two ears so we can pinpoint the origin of sounds. So it would, for example, be very difficult to know where a car is coming from without two audio inputs; it could be behind you, to the left, the right or even in the next street, but with only a single feed, there's no auditory depth perception. That's the reason why we prefer stereo audio rather than mono.

To give another example, if you have an ear infection, not necessarily painful, but just enough to muffle the sounds coming from one side, even though it doesn't affect the inner ear where the fluid that determines our balance is located, you will most probably have a really hard time walking in a straight line as the usual acoustic feedback isn't there to tell us we are moving in the right direction.

Psychologically, you can learn to ignore any small sounds coming from one side as well, which can result in the long term as an inability to recognise them even if the brain still receives signals from the acoustic nerve, creating an inability to understand and process information rather than to hear. This is something that can affect children who have repeated episodes of glue ear as well, so they still have problems long after any infections clear up. Kids who have cochlear implants also have to be taught to interpret the things they hear, as they do not know how to listen either.

However, in time, many people do adapt well. My brother is profoundly deaf in one ear due to multiple acoustic neuromae (benign tumours) and manages fine. Although he still has no idea whether the cat is yelling at him from behind him, up a tree or under the floorboards when it starts. That's when he starts turning round on the spot to find a direction and then lifting his head up and down to get a height estimation. He's had 40 years in which to adapt. But his balance is fine, racing motorbikes for example. And he has never had a problem with getting jobs, including in industry and in offices - but on the other hand, he wasn't able to become a firefighter like he wanted to.

The OP should be able to get help from her (sorry if that's too much of an assumption) union as it seems fairly reasonable for there to be some adjustments made - the location in the kitchen where she works, a bit of deafness awareness training for staff, for example. And maybe there is a hearing centre attached to her hospital which can provide support in dealing with changes - ENTs can be dismissive, but they are worth their weight in gold.


It's hard dealing with any big change, but this isn't necessarily the end of her working life, just a change to it.

So there may be some issues for a period for which DLA would be payable and it would be unfair to think that needing help in adapting to the different constraints of such a change in perception is anything other than a perfectly reasonable need.

Oldernotwiser

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

So there may be some issues for a period for which DLA would be payable and it would be unfair to think that needing help in adapting to the different constraints of such a change in perception is anything other than a perfectly reasonable need.

But you can't get away from the fact that DLA is awarded for care or mobility needs only and losing hearing in one ear is unlikely to result in either.

Indie_Kid

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

But you can't get away from the fact that DLA is awarded for care or mobility needs only and losing hearing in one ear is unlikely to result in either.

Especially if you have full sight too. Many pople with loss of the majority of their sight or hearing, generally compensate for i by the other sense being heightened.

Lemony

I watched a programme about blind people the other day and they said that other senses compensating for loss of sight is an old wives tale (I don't know if it is, but that's what the blind people said themselves)!

If a person loses hearing in one ear and it causes problems for which they need help they may be entitled to the care element depending on the type of help they need. It would also be perfectly reasonable for them to claim the mobility element IF it affects balance or causes diziness or something like that. It depends on what symptoms the OP has and whether or not she has any pain that will determine whether she satisfies conditions for claiming.

Dave101t

i get sleepy often, can i get money for that?

bigturnip

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Not really. Not initially at least. Humans have two ears so we can pinpoint the origin of sounds. So it would, for example, be very difficult to know where a car is coming from without two audio inputs; it could be behind you, to the left, the right or even in the next street, but with only a single feed, there's no auditory depth perception. That's the reason why we prefer stereo audio rather than mono.

To give another example, if you have an ear infection, not necessarily painful, but just enough to muffle the sounds coming from one side, even though it doesn't affect the inner ear where the fluid that determines our balance is located, you will most probably have a really hard time walking in a straight line as the usual acoustic feedback isn't there to tell us we are moving in the right direction.

Psychologically, you can learn to ignore any small sounds coming from one side as well, which can result in the long term as an inability to recognise them even if the brain still receives signals from the acoustic nerve, creating an inability to understand and process information rather than to hear. This is something that can affect children who have repeated episodes of glue ear as well, so they still have problems long after any infections clear up. Kids who have cochlear implants also have to be taught to interpret the things they hear, as they do not know how to listen either.

However, in time, many people do adapt well. My brother is profoundly deaf in one ear due to multiple acoustic neuromae (benign tumours) and manages fine. Although he still has no idea whether the cat is yelling at him from behind him, up a tree or under the floorboards when it starts. That's when he starts turning round on the spot to find a direction and then lifting his head up and down to get a height estimation. He's had 40 years in which to adapt. But his balance is fine, racing motorbikes for example. And he has never had a problem with getting jobs, including in industry and in offices - but on the other hand, he wasn't able to become a firefighter like he wanted to.

The OP should be able to get help from her (sorry if that's too much of an assumption) union as it seems fairly reasonable for there to be some adjustments made - the location in the kitchen where she works, a bit of deafness awareness training for staff, for example. And maybe there is a hearing centre attached to her hospital which can provide support in dealing with changes - ENTs can be dismissive, but they are worth their weight in gold.


It's hard dealing with any big change, but this isn't necessarily the end of her working life, just a change to it.

So there may be some issues for a period for which DLA would be payable and it would be unfair to think that needing help in adapting to the different constraints of such a change in perception is anything other than a perfectly reasonable need.

I lost complete hearing in my right ear overnight, it's not a drastic change, yes worrying, but I've never had to keep turning round on the spot to work out where a noise is coming from, then again I don't own a cat.

bigturnip

sh1305 wrote: »

Especially if you have full sight too. Many pople with loss of the majority of their sight or hearing, generally compensate for i by the other sense being heightened.

Sorry, but that's a load of b0ll0cks.

Vicky123

I am deaf in one ear and never even thought of it as a disability.
My other senses certainly haven't compensated or become more acute in any way but neither do I have any kind of needs worth commenting on, it's something one just gets used to. Probably other people are bothered more with me constantly saying "what"? and having them repeat themselves.

Indie_Kid

bigturnip wrote: »

Sorry, but that's a load of b0ll0cks.

I know many people who agree with me.