1.1 billion people could become deaf, WHO warns

EROMOSELE EBHOMELE

Are you one of those who constantly stuff your ears with the earpiece of your phones to listen to music or sit close to loud speakers at nightclubs, events and parties? If yes, then you are among the 1.1 billion people across the world at risk of hearing loss, according to the World Health Organisation, WHO.

Though half of all hearing loss cases are preventable, globally, 360 million people currently have moderate to profound hearing loss due to various causes, such as noise, genetic conditions, complications at birth, certain infectious diseases, chronic ear infections, the use of particular drugs, and ageing, according to WHO.

The global health body in a warning to mark the International Ear Care Day, celebrated each year on March 3rd, said the figure, mainly including teenagers and young adults, are at risk of hearing loss due to the unsafe use of personal audio devices, including smartphones, and exposure to damaging levels of sound at noisy entertainment venues such as nightclubs, bars and sporting events.

For 2015, WHO says it is launching the ‘Make Listening Safe’ initiative to draw attention to the dangers of unsafe listening and promote safer practices and that, in collaboration with partners worldwide, WHO will alert young people and their families about the risks of noise-induced hearing loss and advocate towards governments for greater attention to this issue as part of their broader efforts to prevent hearing loss generally.

“Hearing loss has potentially devastating consequences for physical and mental health, education and employment,” it warned adding that data from studies in middle- and high-income countries which it analysed indicate that among teenagers and young adults aged 12 to 35 years, nearly 50 percent are exposed to unsafe levels of sound from the use of personal audio devices and around 40 percent are exposed to potentially damaging levels of sound at entertainment venues.

“Unsafe levels of sounds can be, for example, exposure to in excess of 85 decibles (dB) for eight hours or 100dB for 15 minutes,” WHO said in its statement.

“As they go about their daily lives doing what they enjoy, more and more young people are placing themselves at risk of hearing loss.

“They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk,” notes Dr. Etienne Krug, WHO’s Director for the Department for Management of Noncommunicable Diseases, Disability, Violence and Injury Prevention.

WHO said exposure to loud sounds can result in temporary hearing loss or tinnitus which is a ringing sensation in the ear.

“When the exposure is particularly loud, regular or prolonged, it can lead to permanent damage of the ear’s sensory cells, resulting in irreversible hearing loss,” it warned.

WHO thus recommends that the highest permissible level of noise exposure in the workplace is 85 dB up to a maximum of eight hours per day.

“Many patrons of nightclubs, bars and sporting events are often exposed to even higher levels of sound, and should therefore considerably reduce the duration of exposure. For example, exposure to noise levels of 100 dB, which is typical in such venues, is safe for no more than 15 minutes.

“Teenagers and young people can better protect their hearing by keeping the volume down on personal audio devices, wearing earplugs when visiting noisy venues, and using carefully fitted, and, if possible, noise-cancelling earphones/headphones.

“They should be aware that once you lose your hearing, it won’t come back. Taking simple preventive actions will allow people to continue to enjoy themselves without putting their hearing at risk,” WHO said.

It said governments also have a role to play by developing and enforcing strict legislation on recreational noise, and by raising awareness of the risks of hearing loss through public information campaigns.

Lagos State is renowned to have an effective law against noise pollution.

WHO urged parents, teachers and physicians to educate young people about safe listening, while managers of entertainment venues can respect the safe noise levels set by their respective venues, use sound limiters, and offer earplugs and ‘chill out’ rooms to patrons.

“Manufacturers can design personal audio devices with safety features and display information about safe listening on products and packaging,” it said.