Signs & Indicators of Sensory Loss and how its Concerns can be Reported

For identifying blindness/deaf, few of the indicators are personalised communication methods, usage of other senses, touch, and smell, taste, to acquire information, developmental delay, isolation and withdrawal, resistive to being touched, no response to light or sound. For identifying hearing loss, the indicators are adult voices being easier to understand, hearing better from one ear in contrast to others, having a high volume of radio or television, asking individuals to repeat themselves all the time. For identifying sight loss, the indicators are loss of interest in hobbies like needlework, squinting while watching television, difficulty in identifying faced of friends or family, reduced night vision, and eyes hurting/frequent headaches.

For identifying deaf/blindness the indicators are sitting near the television or holding the newspapers or books close to their face. Individuals suffering from deaf/blindness may experience difficulty in moving around in places that are not familiar to them that is they may regularly trip over or bump into things. Moreover, Gov.UK, Citizens Advice Bureau, Disability Wales, The Wales Interpretation and Translation Service (WITS), Deaf Access Cymru, Action on Hearing Loss, Wales Council for Deaf People, NHS Choices, Sight Cymru, Sense Cymru, RNID Cymru, and RNIB Cymru are some of the resources of support for people who are suffering from sensory loss.

The concerns related to sight and/or hearing loss can be reported by contacting their GP after a detailed examination. As the GP can only refer them to specialists for further tests of vision and hearing. Secondly, for further testing referrals to an ENT surgeon or an audiologist can be made. This eventually will help in identifying the severity of the hearing loss of the person. Some other options that can be provided are auditory brain stream implants, cochlear implants, middle ear implants, and digital hearing aids.