- There are different risk factors that contribute to hearing loss; however, its diagnosis is usually postponed until it is already a limiting condition.
- Patients with chronic diseases and older adults are vulnerable groups to this disease.
- The WHO estimates that more than one billion people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk of developing hearing problems due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music.
The advancement of technology usually aims to facilitate various tasks of daily life. Although most of the time it complies, it can also generate some side effects. In this sense, abusing recent innovations can be counterproductive because it not only increases the risk of hearing problems but also makes it more difficult to detect.
Who has not enjoyed a movie or a concert with the intervention of a surround sound system? At that moment, it seems that we are in the front row and we are able to perfectly hear imperceptible noises in everyday life. But what few people think is that it is not entirely advisable to listen to sounds in this way.
This is just a sample of what technology can do for us in terms of sound. However, its excessive use can mask problems such as hearing loss, warned the Dr. Adriana Ricalde Sánchezspecialist in audiology at Imagenus, a highly specialized medical diagnosis center.
“Today we have many tools that compensate for hearing loss, which occurs slowly progressively in most cases. Therefore, patients only go to the consultation for an audiometric study when the situation is already limiting or affects communication or their work”.
Coupled with the scant attention we pay to our ears, which should be essential in universal health coverage according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is another downside. When hearing problems are experienced suddenly, it is common to see an otolaryngologist first, rather than an audiologist.
“The latter uses tests such as tonal audiometry, which analyzes the ability to hear sounds; or impedancemetry, which evaluates the function of the middle ear before the sound stimulus, as well as the mobility and integrity of the tympanic membrane and the continuity of the ossicular chain”.
Listen! are not exempt
Although those who live with chronic conditions and the elderly face a greater risk of developing this type of illness, Dr. Ricalde Sánchez considered that the incidence among young people is on the rise “due to high exposure to environmental noise, prolonged use of hearing aids and presence of metabolic alterations”.
Even the WHO estimates that more than one billion people between the ages of 12 and 35 “are at risk of hearing loss due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud music and other recreational sounds, which can have devastating consequences for their physical health.” and mental, education and employment prospects”.
Therefore, it is necessary to be alert to the following signs
- Difficulty hearing whispers and/or understanding conversations in noisy places.
- Need to repeat words to us in a conversation.
- Problems perceiving high-pitched and/or low-pitched sounds.
- Need to turn up the volume of electronic devices too much.
- Balance disturbances (dizziness or vertigo).
In addition to moderating the volume of what we hear, the specialist concluded, the ideal is to undergo an audiological review at least once a year, regardless of age. Unfortunately, “it is very rare that hearing health is checked for prevention, that is, without presenting symptoms or that a family member reports a habitual failure to converse.”
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