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Take the test that can help spot the hidden sign of ADHD that no one talks about
Take the test that can help spot the hidden sign of ADHD that no one talks about

Daily Mail​

time4 days ago

  • General
  • Daily Mail​

Take the test that can help spot the hidden sign of ADHD that no one talks about

If you find yourself having a hard time following a TV show without subtitles, or asking people to repeat themselves, it might not be because there's something wrong with your hearing. Instead, experts says that auditory processing disorder (ADP)—a little-known sign of ADHD—could be to blame. According to Dr Sermed Mezher, a UK based GP and influencer with over 344,000 followers on Instagram, an inability to follow dialogue could be a sign of ADP. ADP affects around five per cent of the population and can make it incredibly difficult to process sounds, including spoken words. However, people who suffer with the condition usually have normal hearing. In an Instagram video that has so far garnered over 1.4million views, Dr Mezher explained: 'It isn't just people with ADHD that can hear things but struggle to process them. 'Auditory processing disorder is thought to be a dysfunction of what's known as the "cocktail party effect" of the brain—where you can selectively focus on different parts of your hearing.' The problem, which affects roughly half of people with ADHD, refers to a listener's ability to hone in on specific conversations or sounds, while ignoring other background noise. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sermed Mezher (@drsermedmezher) Audiologists can diagnose the condition via special tests, some of which can be replicated at home. For instance, testers may ask people to pick out details in two pieces of audio played at the same time-one containing speech, and the other music. You could test for this at home by playing music as well as your favourite tv show, and try to decifer what is being said. Elsewhere, tests are available online, such as a basic one by tech firm Forebrain, although these are not medically verified. Dr Mezher said: 'Signs that you could have [APD] include if you ask people to repeat things a lot, or you speak too softly or loudly for the situation.' He continued in the caption: 'People with APD might also appear to be inattentive or distracted especially in group settings, when in reality they are simply having trouble processing what is being said. Other common symptoms include having difficulty understanding people with a strong accent that is different from your own, problems following spoken instructions and difficulties with similar sounding words. Dr Mezher said: 'These challenges can impact academic, social and professional life, making early recognition and support essential.' Symptoms of APD and ADHD often overlap, meaning that children are misdiagnosed. Common symptoms of both conditions include finding it hard to listen to what people are saying, talking noisily and seeming disinterested in a conversation According to the NHS, APD most commonly develops in childhood, and is often found in people with attention, language and learning difficulties—such as ADHD, as well as dyslexia. This comes as worrying new figures published by the NHS estimate up to 2.5million people in England could be living with attention deficit disorder (ADHD), with more than half a million people waiting for an assessment. Doctors have raised concerns in recent years about a surge in diagnoses—but this marks the first official estimate of how widespread the condition may be. ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with symptoms such as difficulty listening to what people are saying or following instructions, overlapping with APD. Other symptoms in children and young people include being easily distracted, forgetting everyday tasks and talking noisily. Around five per cent of children and young people in the country are thought to the condition. This means a total of 741,000 children and young people aged five to 24 may have the condition, including those without a diagnosis. This comes as ADHD campaigners have accused the NHS of presiding over a 'widely failing system' as it emerged that prescriptions for ADHD medications have risen by an alarming 18 per cent year on year since the pandemic.

On Save Your Hearing Day, Discover 7 Unexpected Things That Can Give You Hearing Loss
On Save Your Hearing Day, Discover 7 Unexpected Things That Can Give You Hearing Loss

CNET

time6 days ago

  • General
  • CNET

On Save Your Hearing Day, Discover 7 Unexpected Things That Can Give You Hearing Loss

Today is National Save Your Hearing Day, a reminder of how important hearing is for your communication, learning and speech. That's why it's always a good idea to work on preserving your hearing and protecting your ears, and that starts with understanding that loud noises and aging aren't the only things that can cause hearing loss. In addition to different types of hearing loss, these are the unexpected factors that can affect your hearing health. Hearing loss types Before discussing the surprising sources of hearing loss, let's establish the types. There are three categories. Sensorineural hearing loss: This type involves damage to the inner ear, which is made up of the cochlea and semicircular canals. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type, often caused by aging, head trauma or illness. This type involves damage to the inner ear, which is made up of the cochlea and semicircular canals. Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type, often caused by aging, head trauma or illness. Conductive hearing loss : The sounds can't get past the outer or middle ear with conductive hearing loss. This makes things sound muffled. Conductive hearing loss is often caused by illness that leads to fluid in the middle ear; an ear infection; or a hole in the eardrum. Medication or surgery can often solve the problem. : The sounds can't get past the outer or middle ear with conductive hearing loss. This makes things sound muffled. Conductive hearing loss is often caused by illness that leads to fluid in the middle ear; an ear infection; or a hole in the eardrum. Medication or surgery can often solve the problem. Mixed hearing loss: This type describes an instance in which sensorineural and conductive hearing loss occur together. Sensorineural hearing loss is treated with hearing aids from your doctor or over the counter. You can choose from over-the-ear, in-ear, or in-canal devices. Conductive hearing loss that isn't responding to medical intervention is treatable with specialized hearing aids: bone conduction, air conduction and bone-anchored varieties. 7 things that can causes hearing loss without you realizing it Sometimes, your hearing can degrade slowly over time. So slowly that you might not even notice it. Or, you manage well enough that you miss the signs. The signs of hearing loss are subtle, like having to turn up the volume, asking people to repeat themselves and having a hard time having conversions. Remember this list of possible causes to help your doctor find the source of your hearing loss. Infections Both viral and bacterial infections can impair your hearing. Something as simple as a cold or an ear infection can muffle your hearing, impair your balance or result in tinnitus. The good news is that this type of hearing loss is often only temporary. The sooner you seek treatment, the less likely the hearing loss will be permanent. The type of hearing loss depends on the source of the infection. Generally, virus-induced hearing loss is sensorineural, though conductive and mixed hearing loss is possible. Bacterial infections of the middle ear are generally conductive hearing loss. Our body's inflammatory response can result in fluid or mucus buildup behind the eardrum and muffle the hearing. Most cases can be resolved with medication. Head trauma When I say head trauma, I'm referring to anything that damages the structures of the ears or brain. That may be a blow to the head, a foreign object in your ear or an accident that damages your eardrum or canal. When something ruptures your eardrum (the membrane in the ear that keeps bacteria out), auditory signals that are usually transferred through vibrations are hindered from the ear to the brain. In the case of a ruptured eardrum, hearing loss is temporary. It doesn't always have to be a significant occurrence to damage your eardrum or inner ear. Even things that don't seem like a big deal can impact your hearing. If you've noticed hearing loss and remember any head trauma, bringing it up with your doctor is problems You probably wouldn't connect any dental problems to issues with your hearing. However, the two are more related than you think. Bacterial infections in the mouth -- from tooth infections or impacted wisdom teeth -- can compromise your hearing because they cause inflammation that narrows your blood vessels. Narrowed blood vessels limit blood flow to essential ear hair cells and key brain areas. Cochlear hair cells are located in the inner ear and function as the sensory cells for hearing. They turn the vibration from sound into electrical signals for the brain. They can become damaged or die if they don't get enough blood, leading to permanent hearing loss. That doesn't mean getting a tooth infection will immediately hurt your hearing. However, it does highlight the importance of dental hygiene and addressing issues quickly to avoid unforeseen side effects. Diabetes According to the American Diabetes Association, if you have diabetes, you're twice as likely to develop hearing loss. That's because the disease can damage the nerve cells in your ears. It all goes back to sugar levels. High blood sugar levels deteriorate the cells and nerves of the inner ear. In contrast, low blood sugar levels can be just as damaging over time as they can compromise signals from the ears to the brain. Essentially, if your blood flow isn't giving the nerves what they need to send signals to the brain, hearing loss occurs. Even though having diabetes increases your risk for hearing loss, it doesn't automatically mean you'll develop it. The National Institute of Diabetes and Kidney Diseases suggests following these steps to maintain your blood sugar levels and protect your hearing: Continue to monitor your glucose levels regularly. Exercise. Quit smoking. Drink water and avoid drinks high in sugar. Work with your doctor to develop a diabetes-friendly meal blood pressure We've established that blood flow is essential for healthy hearing. The ear structures are delicate and sensitive to changes in blood flow. When your blood pressure is high, your heart and blood vessels are overworked. Your heart is pumping more blood than usual, which means the ear structures are overwhelmed with blood, resulting in temporary hearing loss that goes away when your blood pressure goes back down. However, if you always have high blood pressure, it can damage the blood vessels in the ear, which is permanent. Hearing loss isn't one of the standard side effects of high blood pressure, but it can happen. Prescription medications You probably wouldn't expect a medication you get from the doctor to potentially damage your hearing, but it can occur. To be clear, it isn't all medications. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, approximately 200 medications and chemicals can hurt hearing. See a list of these medications here. A side effect of some medications is ototoxicity, which damages your inner ear. This can result in hearing loss, ringing in the ears or balance problems. The first sign generally is ringing of the ears or your ears feeling "full." Before you start taking a medication that can be ototoxic, you should have your hearing documented to have a baseline for comparison. Sleep apnea Recent research has linked sleep apnea to increased instances of hearing loss. A study published in the Journal of Clinical Otolaryngology found that sleep apnea increases the chances of hearing loss by 21%. Though there isn't a definitive reason from the medical community yet, it's likely linked to the decreased blood flow to the inner ears. Without blood flow, the cells and vessels die, which means messages won't get from the ear to the brain. Having sleep apnea doesn't necessarily mean you'll have hearing loss, but it's another reason to be certain you're seeking treatment. You should also keep updated assessments to be sure you're tracking your hearing over time. Too long; didn't read? There are more sources of hearing loss than most people think. You may have expected head trauma but not impacted wisdom teeth as a potential source. Here's the thing: Just because you have any of the things on the list doesn't mean it'll automatically translate to hearing loss. It's just something to remember if you notice your hearing is degrading. Hearing assistance is more accessible than ever before. Over-the-counter hearing aids are now available, many of which you can finance to make them more affordable. You don't have to live with hearing loss.

Worker has employment claims thrown out because she turned up 30 minutes late to hearing
Worker has employment claims thrown out because she turned up 30 minutes late to hearing

Irish Times

time22-05-2025

  • Irish Times

Worker has employment claims thrown out because she turned up 30 minutes late to hearing

The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has thrown out multiple employment rights claims by a worker at a community probation service because she turned up half an hour late for her hearing before an adjudication officer last month. Maureen McHugh filed complaints against her employer, the Tallaght Probation Project, trading as Deonach, alleging breaches of the Employment Equality Act 1998, the Terms of Employment (Information) Act 1994, and the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005. Ms McHugh earned €2,400 a month for a 19-hour week as a tutor with the west Dublin charity, which operates probation courses for young offenders and adults funded by the State. Her complaints were received by the WRC in January and February 2025 and were listed for hearing at 9.30am on Wednesday 30 April last at Lansdowne House in Dublin 4. READ MORE In decision documents published on Thursday by the WRC, adjudication officer Breiffni O'Neill wrote: '[Ms McHugh] did not attend at the appointed time of 9.30am to give evidence in relation to her complaints.' 'She telephoned the WRC's reception desk at 9.30am to explain that she was delayed by 10 minutes due to traffic. I therefore waited until 9.50am, and as she was still not in attendance at that time, I proceeded with the hearing,' he added. He noted that the employer's representative and two witnesses were present, but as Ms McHugh 'was not present to give evidence', the hearing concluded without any evidence being taken. Ms McHugh arrived to the tribunal building at 10am, Mr O'Neill added. 'I explained to her that as she had not arrived at the appointed time of 9.30am and within a reasonable period afterwards, I had proceeded to hear the matter and it had concluded,' Mr O'Neill added. Mr O'Neill rejected Ms McHugh's complaints as 'not well founded' on the basis that she 'did not attend the hearing to give evidence' or that she had failed to raise an inference of discrimination by failing to present evidence.

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