More and more young people lose their hearing
MED-EL, a world leader in hearing implants, joins the World Health Organization (WHO) to celebrate World Hearing Day and promote prevention.
This year’s theme “To hear life, listen with care” focuses on the importance of safe listening to maintain good hearing throughout life. According to the WHO, some 1.1 billion young people are at risk of hearing loss due to regular and prolonged exposure to loud noises. However, hearing loss induced by loud sounds can be prevented by following a few “safe listening” recommendations daily.
Hearing loss is often considered an invisible disability, whose awareness and knowledge of the subject is low. However, this is a growing problem around the world. Globally, according to the report WHO over 1.5 billion people live with a hearing loss and by 2050 this number is estimated to grow to 2.5 billion (1 in 4 people).
Moreover, 50% of people between the ages of 12 and 35 are at risk of permanently damaging their hearing. In fact, entertainment venues – clubs, cocktail bars, discos – are often dominated by high noise levels, all risk factors for 40% of young people in high and middle-income countries. One reason is that most people are unaware of the dangers associated with listening to loud sounds regularly for a long time, especially in modern society where listening to music through headphones, smartphones, and other audio devices is very common.
The consequences of permanent hearing loss are many and significant. If left untreated, hearing loss significantly reduces the quality of life, communication, productivity and negatively impacts self-confidence in social contexts and safety.
Dr. Nader Nassif, Specialist in Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Territorial Social-Health Authority of the Civil Hospitals of Brescia, he comments as follows: “The problem of hearing loss is very widespread and has several implications. On the occasion of World Hearing Day, I would like to underline the importance of early diagnosis which allows us to identify – in time – the degree of deafness and the right solution. Fortunately, there are many innovative technological solutions that allow for fast hearing recovery. Deafness can be cured and we must not be afraid ”.
Prevention is the key
Hearing loss cannot be prevented under any circumstances. Genetic factors can make some people more susceptible than others; sometimes it can be due to the aging process. But hearing loss caused by exposure to loud noise is avoidable. According to the recommendations of the WHO, MED-EL has compiled a list of eight tips for daily listening:
- Down the volume: lower the volume of your personal audio devices by 60% of the maximum.
- Don’t overexpose your ears to loud music: for adults the sound threshold considered “safe” is up to 80 dBA for no more than 40 hours per week, while for children it is recommended not to exceed 75 dBA for no more than 40 hours per week.
- Protect your ears from loud sounds: wear earplugs to protect your ears from loud sounds in places where music is amplified, such as clubs, concerts, and entertainment venues. When inserted correctly, earplugs can reduce exposure by 5-45 dB.
- Take a break when in noisy environments, it is important to take regular breaks in quiet areas. In general, it is good to limit the daily use of audio devices.
- Reduce background noise: use noise-canceling headphones and turn down the volume of the radio, TV or any other source of sound distraction.
- Keep your distance from noise sources move away from the speakers.
- Choose devices that automatically adjust the volume: try apps and other technologies with built-in Safe Listening features.
- Get your hearing checked: see an audiologist or otolaryngologist if you experience ear pain, a permanent ringing sensation (tinnitus) or difficulty following conversations. WHO recommends that all adults have a hearing screening every 5 years, starting from the age of 50 to 64, and every 1-3 years from the age of 65 onwards. A free online hearing test is available on the Suonidellanatura website.
Taking a hearing test is a first step in identifying and treating deterioration early and finding the right solution such as, for example, a cochlear implant.
Patrick D’Haese, MED-EL’s Corporate Director of Awareness and Public Affairs, says: “MED-EL’s mission is to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication and quality of life. Since we cannot restore noise-induced hearing loss, we strongly urge everyone to protect their hearing as much as possible. Our innovations are aimed at replacing the human sense of hearing through the support of technology and allow people to rediscover the fundamental human need to communicate and actively participate in life. However, there are preventive behaviors that everyone should keep in mind and adopt ” .
About MED-EL
MED-EL Medical Electronics, a world leader in hearing solutions, is driven by the mission to overcome hearing loss as a barrier to communication. The privately owned Austrian company was co-founded by industry pioneers Ingeborg and Erwin Hochmair, whose groundbreaking research led to the development of the world’s first microelectronic multichannel (IC) cochlear implant, which was successfully implanted in 1977 and laid the foundation for what is now known as the modern IC. This laid the foundation for the successful growth of the company which, after hiring its first employees in 1990, now has over 2,300 employees from around 80 countries and 30 offices around the world.
MED-EL offers the widest range of products to treat all types of hearing loss, enabling people in 134 countries – with more than 95% of hearing implants exported and used by more than 4,370 clinics worldwide – to be able to hear and benefit from the gift of hearing, thanks to the help of a MED-EL device. MED-EL hearing solutions include cochlear and middle ear implant systems, an implantable electroacoustic stimulation (EAS) hearing system, a combined acoustic stimulation implant system, brain stem auditory implants, and surgical bone conduction devices and non-surgical