WHO Report Says Over 360 Million People Suffering Hearing Loss

An estimated 360 million people in the world are suffering from hearing loss, says World Health Organisation (WHO) report.

In the report prepared for International Ear Care Day (March 3), WHO said one in three people over the age of 65, or a total of 165 million people worldwide, live with hearing loss, and another 32 million affected by hearing loss are children aged under 15.

Presbycusis (Age-related Hearing Loss)-Causes-Symptoms-Diagnosis-Treatment-FAQs
Presbycusis (age related hearing loss) is the gradual loss of hearing that occurs as people get older. Presbycusis involves progressive sensorineural hearing loss.

About half of all cases of hearing loss are easily preventable while many can be treated through early diagnosis and suitable interventions such as surgically implanted hearing devices, said Shelly Chadha of the WHO Department of Prevention of Blindness and Deafness.

She, however, warned that the current production of hearing aids met less than 10 percent of the global need.

"In developing countries, fewer than one out of 40 people who need a hearing aid have one," Chadha said.

Hearing Aids - Digital Types, Cochlear Implants and Limitations
Hearing aid is an electronic device that helps people with hearing loss to hear more and communicate more effectively. Only 1 out of 5 people benefit from a hearing aid.

WHO encouraged countries to develop programmes for preventing hearing loss within their primary health care systems including vaccinating children against infectious diseases such as measles, meningitis and mumps.

It also recommended measures such as screening and treating syphilis in pregnant women, and early assessment and management of hearing loss in babies.

Quiz on Hearing Loss
A little difficulty in hearing is natural with the aging process but if the auditory damage occurs because of other reasons, it can be a cause for concern. Take this quiz to find out how much you know about hearing loss.

Source-IANS

Anatomy of Ear and Hearing
Ear converts sound waves into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the temporal lobe of the brain through the auditory nerve. It consists of outer, inner and middle sections.