FOR hearing impaired people, audiologists are angels bringing them back to the hearing world.

Sun Jin is an audiologist from Shanghai Acoustics Laboratory attached to the Institute of Acoustics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. A graduate of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Sun specializes in hearing technology research.

In China, about 100 million people suffer from hearing impairment. However, only 10,000 professionals are engaged in hearing care services.

"When I studied at the university, there were only 39 students in our class and I remembered the employment rate was 100 percent," said Sun. "As far as I know, only a few schools around the world have set up the major of audiology and speech science." Sun is one of the few audiologists working in research institutes. Most of her classmates work in hospitals or foreign enterprises.

Sun said the causes of hearing loss included congenital deafness, drugs, old age and excessive noise. Currently, cochlear implant and hearing aids are the main options.

People suffering from congenital hearing impairment usually need cochlear implants to rebuild their hearing. "These patients, especially children, need audiologists to help them adjust cochlear implants and develop speech ability," said Sun.

Sun said rehabilitation is the most important part of hearing rebuilding. Audiologists help children rebuild social ties and teach them how to communicate with others.

Hearing aids can help improve the quality of hearing. "We will adjust the hearing aid equipment in accordance with professional assessment to ensure the equipment is in its optimum status," Sun said.

转载自shanghai daily