Dr Manit M. Mandal

Cochlear Implants Parents of children who are deaf are often presented with the option of obtaining a cochlear implant for their child. Before this choice is made, it is important for parents to gather as much information as possible regarding the technology and to develop realistic expectations associated with its use. A cochlear implant is an electronic device with both external and internal components. The external component consists of a microphone, sound processor, transmitter, transmitting cable, and battery. The internal components consist of a receiver and an electrode array. These components are embedded into a child’s head behind the ear during surgery. The cochlear implant mechanism operates by receiving sounds through the external components, digitally transforming them into electrical signals, and sending them into the implanted components and to the auditory nerve, which carries them to the brain. Surgery to implant the internal device is usually done on an outpatient bas...

  Sign Language Use for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Hearing Babies Drawing from a large body of research, there is a clear argument favoring the use of sign language with all children, regardless of their hearing status. This argument is based on three basic points: Early language learning experiences affect other areas of development and are critical to children’s future success. Sign language provides the earliest possible mode through which children can learn expressive language skills. All children can benefit from the use of sign language, with no risk to other language skills This includes: Hearing children Deaf children Hard of hearing children Any child benefiting from technological auditory assistance Early language learning experiences affect other areas of development and are critical to children’s future success. Language is necessary to many other aspects of development, including cognitive, social and psychological development.  A lack of language skills can have ...

About World Deaf Day World Deaf Day is celebrated every year on the last Sunday of September with the aim to draw attention of general public, politician and development authorities towards the achievements of the deaf people as well as deaf people community. Throughout the celebration, all the hearing impaired organizations worldwide are encouraged greatly to fulfil the demands and needs of the deaf people as well as increase their rights in the society, worldwide. Importance and Activities of World Deaf Day Celebration People must participate in celebrating the World Deaf Day by helping in expanding the growth and development through the new technologies as well as offering deaf people wide variety of opportunities to change their lifestyle. It is usually celebrated in the form of rallies, seminar and various deaf awareness campaigns including some fun events. Word from the ENT Specialist In India, every 4th child born is hearing impaired and the incidence of the problem is more in t...

  Did you know that there are more than several million people living with diabetes or prediabetes in our country? If you are one of them, it is recommended that you read this on priority basis. According to the American Diabetes Association (2020),  people with diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop hearing loss as compared to those without . WHAT IS DIABETES? Essentially, diabetes is a chronic disease that affects how the body turns food into energy. It occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, which is a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or when the body is unable to use the insulin it produces (World Health Organization, 2018). Elevated blood sugar, or hyperglycemia, is a common result of uncontrolled diabetes and can eventually lead to serious damage to different parts of the body, especially the nerves and blood vessels. You may have already known that there are 3 different types of diabetes: Type 1, Type 2, and gestational diabetes, wh...

Lets talk : Sleep Apnoea If you snore or if someone you know snores, you should surely read this.      Sleep Apnoea, also known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), is believed to affect a large number of people in the world and also our country, India. And that too 90% of people affected remain undiagnosed for various reasons. Certain researches claim that around 4 in 100 middle-aged men, and 2 in 100 middle-aged women have OSA. Studies have also shown that around 60% of people over 65 years of age have some form of OSA.      A layman’s definition of Sleep Apnoea is  ‘the cessation of breathing during sleep’ . It is a Respiratory Sleep Disorder, not a disease. It is Respiratory in nature (as we stop breathing), but it only happens when we sleep or nap.      These periods of ‘stopping breathing’ only become clinically significant if the cessation lasts for more than 10 seconds each time and occur more than 5 times every hour.  ...