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Facts on Hearing Loss
By Soundrich Hearing
There is very little awareness regarding hearing loss among people, and that is why, people also fail to avail of easy solutions that can help manage their issue. But first, let us look at certain macro-level facts around hearing loss as presented by the World Health Organization:
- Over 5% of the global population (~430 million people) face hearing loss to an extent that can be categorized as ‘disabling’, and hence, need rehabilitation for addressing their issue.
- By 2050, it is expected that around 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss with over 700 million of them requiring hearing rehabilitation.
- Prevalence of hearing loss tends to increase with age, and among people above the age of 60, >25% are affected by a disabling level of hearing loss.
- In India alone, there are an estimated 63 million people who suffer from Significant Auditory Impairment, among which, children between the age of 0-14 form a considerable percentage.
So what problems do people with hearing loss face in life?
Here are few of the common ones that we can point out:
Difficulty in communication
People with hearing loss cannot communicate as effectively as they rely on lip movements to understand what the other person is trying to speak. If the other person, upon discovering the hearing problem, out of empathy, begins to speak slowly in an effort to make it easier to understand, it actually has the opposite effect – the person with hearing loss will find it difficult to read the lip movements. In situations where it is not possible to watch lip movements, such as during public announcements at railway stations or airports, or while being in a dimly lit room, the problem is compounded further.
Barriers to education
Young children with hearing impairment have to study in schools for the differently-abled, and therefore, at least to an extent, their learning experience is compromised.
Reduced employment opportunities
A lot of workplaces are not equipped to support employees who may have hearing loss issues. As a result, oftentimes, such candidates are simply not considered for selection. Even during employment, such employees will find lesser opportunities to grow into their careers.
Inability to enjoy various art forms
Whether it is listening to music, watching television, or going for drama plays or movies, one has to rely on their sense of hearing to fully relish such entertainment. People with hearing loss are not able to enjoy such art forms, which means they miss out on a source of happiness and healthy distraction from routine life.
Proneness to Depression and Anxiety
As per a research conducted at the US National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, it was found that the incidence of depression and anxiety was more than twice among people with hearing impairment when compared to people with healthy hearing.
Increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia
In a study conducted at the John Hopkins School of Medicine over a 12-year time-frame, it was found that when compared to someone with normal hearing, the risk of having dementia doubled for people with mild hearing loss, thrice for those with moderate hearing loss, while those with severe hearing impairment were at a 5X greater risk.
While all the above is true, the adverse impact due to hearing loss on your quality of life can be reversed to a considerable extent with the use of a right hearing aid.
Read on Signs and Symptoms to look out for if you suspect if yourself or anyone dear to you is suffering from hearing loss.
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