I can hear it, but I can't hear it.

There is a symptom called "auditory information processing disorder" = APD that you can hear as a sound, but you cannot hear the content of the story well. Analysis of patients examined by specialists in the past 14 years shows that more than half of the patients say that it is difficult to understand instructions by ear alone, and there are an increasing number of cases of consecutive work mistakes. It was.

Auditory information processing disorder = APD is a symptom that normal people cannot hear sounds and voices in a noisy place, such as in a town, even if the hearing is normal.

Associate professor Chie Ogura of the International University of Health and Welfare, who has been studying for many years, has analyzed the main symptoms of about 120 people who have visited specialized clinics in college clinics over the past 14 years.

As a result, 52% of respondents answered that it was difficult to understand the instructions with their ears alone, accounting for more than half of the total.

There are many cases where mistakes are received at work one after another, such as “it is difficult to answer the phone” and “I cannot hear the order”, and the number of people in their 20s and 30s is increasing.

In addition, 10.5% of respondents said it was difficult to talk with multiple people at meetings.

“There are many people who are unaware of any symptoms and are aware of a series of mistakes in their work or have an impact on human relationships. If you feel symptoms, see a medical institution as soon as possible. I would like you to consult about the response. "

I can't hear the contents of the phone ...

Auditory Information Processing Disorder = Toshiro Ishida (35), who suffers from APD symptoms, says that he can hardly hear the story when he goes out into a busy street where the noise of a car or a large monitor sounds.

In addition, the construction companies that I worked on could not hear the contents of phone calls from customers, and repeated mistakes.

I have retired from the company, and now I avoid work with telephone support and help people with disabilities.

Mr. Ishida said, “I didn't know the symptom of auditory information processing disorder until recently, and I had trouble with my work.

Activities at the party

Last year, an auditory information processing disability party was held, and last month a meeting in Tokyo was attended by approximately 30 people from across the country.

Some of the 33-year-old men said, “I used to work at a supermarket but I couldn't hear the instructions and had to retire.”

There was also a study session inviting Associate Professor Komine from the International University of Health and Welfare as a lecturer, and the latest questionnaire to measure symptoms was distributed.

There are questions such as `` Can you hear the other person's voice or talk in a room where many people talk '' or `` Do you need to concentrate quite a lot when listening to someone's voice or sound? '', The total score is 109 points or less In the case of, it means that there is a high possibility of auditory information processing failure.

Toshiro Ishida (35) who participated was found to have a high possibility of hearing information processing failure at 80 points as a result of the examination, and he felt hesitated to listen back and felt heavy, etc. I also understood that it had an influence.

Associate professor Kobuchi said that symptoms vary widely between individuals and that he / she wants to consult a specialized medical institution and receive advice that is appropriate for each person. Introduced on how to listen on the machine, ▽ Training using radio and reading CD, ▽ Receiving counseling, reducing psychological burden and improving symptoms.

He also said that it was important to prepare the environment by having the people in the workplace understand the symptoms and talking clearly and slowly.

Medical institutions that can be examined and examined

This is a medical institution that conducts examinations and detailed examinations for “auditory information processing disorders”.

▽ International Medical Welfare University Clinic Language Hearing Center (Otawara City, Tochigi Prefecture)
▽ Tohoku University Hospital (Sendai City)
▽ Tokyo Saiseikai Central Hospital (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
▽ National Hospital Organization Tokyo Medical Center (Meguro-ku, Tokyo)
▽ Mimi Hananodo Clinic (Toyama City)
▽ Kansai Medical University Hospital (Hirakata City, Osaka)
▽ Osaka City University Hospital (Abeno-ku, Osaka)
▽ Okayama University Hospital (Okayama City)
▽ Hayashima Clinic (Hayashima Town, Okayama Prefecture)
▽ Kyushu University Hospital (Fukuoka City)

The person in charge is the otolaryngology department of each medical institution. There are an increasing number of other hospitals available. Contact a hospital or clinic.