Did you know that snakes don’t have ears?! No outer ears, that is, though they do have inner ears that help them sense vibrations.
This is one of the fascinating facts about hearing that the kids learned during a presentation held at Little Hearts by two audiology experts from All Ears Cambodia, Mr. Khun Butny and Mrs. Koy Bopha. The presentation covered many interesting topics, such as the structure of the ear, how it works (apparently, everything depends on three tiny bones called ‘ossicles’), how to take care of one’s ears, and why hearing impairment occurs sometimes.
All Ears Cambodia is an NGO committed to helping Cambodians from all walks of life to enjoy good auditory health. At their clinic in Phnom Penh, All Ears Cambodia provides a complete range of healthcare services related to hearing—from diagnosing and treating simple ear infections to custom-fitting hearing aids—often for free or at a minimal cost. They also stage community outreach events, like this visit to Little Hearts, to spread the message that good hearing is a fundamental part of a healthy lifestyle. Ear disorders, if left untreated, can lead to partial or complete deafness—a severe and often unrecognized disability that can have devastating consequences on quality of life, language and speech development, and employment prospects.
Before the presentation, however, all Little Hearts residents underwent a thorough ear examination by the two specialists. They were happy to find that, overall, the kids had very healthy ears and good hearing; just five students were found to have minor problems, the worst being a perforated eardrum. And everyone was reminded that jamming a Q-Tip in your ear isn’t such a good idea and should be done only occasionally!
All Ears Cambodia take their work seriously and want to ensure that all patients, young and old, receive the best possible ear care, so they invited the five children with minor ear ailments to their facility in Phnom Penh. Four of the five have already attended the clinic, where they received treatment free of charge. Thank you for your dedication, All Ears Cambodia.
