What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss is defined as being partially or completely unable to hear sound in one or both ears. A hearing loss makes it more difficult for you to hear speech and other sounds.
Effect of hearing loss
Around 5% of the world’s population suffer from hearing loss. To be precise, 360000000 people worldwide have disability hearing loss. From infants to the elderly, hearing loss affects all groups. Up to 5 of every 1000 infants are born with or develop disability hearing loss in early childhood. Nearly 1 out of every 3 people over 65 years are affected hearing loss.
Causes of hearing loss
A hearing loss can be caused by many factors, but infections, birth defects, ageing process, head or ear injuries, ototoxic reaction to drugs and exposure to excessive noise are the seven most common causes.
Over 90% of deaf children are born to hearing patients. Talking about the young people, hearing loss happens due to unsafe listening practices.
Prevention of hearing loss
50% of hearing loss is preventable through public health actions. Other actions such as immunization, healthy ear and hearing care habits and effective treatments for both acute and chronic ear conditions can us get rid of hearing loss.
One more important step is to raise awareness is essential for effective ear and hearing care. Certain communities, health professionals, policy-makers and international partners can help raising awareness about hearing loss among the masses.
A large population of hearing impaired young Indians amounts to a severe loss of productivity, both physical and economic. Many more people are considered at risk of developing disabling hearing loss from loud noise, infections, disease and age-related degeneration. Unaddressed hearing loss poses a high cost for the economy globally. Although, some hospitals voluntarily recommend newborn screening to detect any form of hearing impairment; responsiveness yet remains near to the ground.
The Ent. Dept. of Sri Ganga Ram Hospital along with Asha Speech & Hearing Clinic, New Delhi have taken a great initiative to raise awareness about the significant functional, social, emotional and economic impact of hearing impairment on individuals and their families on the occasion of World Hearing Day on March 3.
