One in 10 people in the world could suffer from hearing loss by 2050, warns the World Health Organization (WHO). The coronavirus appears to have exacerbated hearing problems.
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In the United States, health officials say about 20% of the adult American population already suffer from some hearing loss. But the coronavirus pandemic has exposed the problem to a greater extent.
About 466 million people around the world suffer from crippling hearing loss, according to the WHO. This number could reach 900 million people by 2050.
What is hearing loss?
Hearing loss or hearing loss, also called deafness or hypoacusia, is the decrease in the ability to perceive sound (decrease in hearing). We also talk about hearing loss.
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. Experts distinguish different degrees of deafness: mild, medium and severe. The first relates to a loss of 20 to 40 decibels (db) while the average relates to a loss of 40 to 70 decibels. We speak of severe deafness when there is a loss of 70 to 90 db, and deep when the loss exceeds 90 db. Hearing loss can be progressive, and in particular related to natural aging, or sudden, or be present from birth due to a malformation or a genetic defect.
Hearing loss is a major handicap, for children as well as for adults. It affects the quality of life, communication, perception, but also learning.
Left unsupported, it can be troublesome in everyday life, according to experts, including Angela Shoup, president of the American Academy of Audiology.
“Many people who may not have previously been identified as having hearing problems, perhaps because they had a very minimal problem, now admit to having increased communication difficulties.”said Angela Shoup, who is also a professor of speech, language and hearing at the University of Texas at Dallas.
How the coronavirus sheds light on hearing problems
“The pandemic has brought to light hearing problems that are unknown to many people, as they have to make an effort to understand people who wear masks.”Angela Shoup told VOA during the celebration of World Hearing Day on March 3.
“Masks remove visual clues,” she said.
Concerns for the next generation of Americans
Experts worry about the next generation of Americans. While children with hearing problems often perform poorly in school, hearing loss in adolescents is on the increase.
Currently, one in five American adolescents has some level of hearing loss, according to the Hearing Loss Association of America. This number has increased by over 30% since the 1990s, which to some extent is linked to “listening to loud music”, Shoup said.
In 2017, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, part of the National Institutes of Health, said 48 million Americans had some type of hearing loss.
The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says about 20% of American adults between the ages of 20 and 69 have hearing problems, and about 28.8 million may need hearing aids.
Unfortunately, “The growing health problem of hearing loss is often unrecognized in American adults, teens and children and it leads to a long list of problems including depression, isolation, school delays, communication disorders and cognitive decline “, argues Ms. Shoup.
In 2007, WHO designated March 3 as World Hearing Health Day to raise awareness of the growing number of people with hearing loss and the importance of hearing health care.
“We are grateful that this awareness day was created to highlight the importance of hearing loss”, says Angela Shoup.
“We are also counting on this day to help educate the public on the importance of seeing an audiologist for professional assessment and management of hearing and balance difficulties.”, advises the American speech expert.
Some of the warning signs of hearing loss include:
Suddenly having to turn up the volume on the television, radio or stereo and causing other family members to complain that the volume is too loud; difficulty understanding the people talking to you, followed by the obligation to ask people to repeat themselves; difficulty with telephone conversations or understanding his interlocutor; the sudden inability to hear the doorbell, dog barking and other house noises; people tell you that you speak too loudly; ringing in the ears.
Article written by Augusta Saraiva. Translated and adapted from English by VOA Afrique.
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