The Sunday Mail
Simbarashe
Takawira
IT is estimated that one in every three Zimbabweans above the age of 65 are suffering from disabling hearing loss. Sadly, some hearing loss is permanent and cannot be reversed.
According to a recent World Health Organisation (WHO) report on hearing loss, more than 5 percent of the world population is living with the condition.
This includes 780 000 people with unaddressed hearing loss in Zimbabwe.
It is essential to ensure healthy living and promote well-being at all ages.
A lot of articles and campaigns have been done to raise awareness on many different health issues, but ear and health heating seems to be one area that is not being given much attention, yet it affects such a large section of our population.
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears.
It can happen suddenly or gradually get worse over time.
If you notice sudden hearing loss, you should see an ear, nose and throat specialist as soon as possible.
Early signs of hearing
loss include:
◆ Difficulty hearing other people clearly;
◆ Misunderstanding what they say, especially in noisy places;
◆ Asking people to repeat themselves; and
◆ Listening to music or watching TV with the volume higher than other people need
There are different degrees of hearing loss. These are classified as mild, moderate, severe and profound.
Mild hearing loss
If you have mild hearing loss, you may hear some speech sounds, but will have difficulty with soft sounds. These include sounds like whispered conversations, birds chirping, dripping water and leaves rustling.
People with mild hearing loss often say they hear well in quiet environments when talking one-on-one with someone; however, not so well when they are in noisy environments.
Moderate hearing loss
This is when you will struggle to hear speech when someone is talking at a normal level.
Hard and soft consonant sounds become inaudible and speech becomes difficult to understand, particularly with background noise.
Severe hearing loss
If someone has severe hearing loss, they will hear little-to-no speech when spoken at normal levels, and only hear some loud sounds.
Often, people with severe hearing loss withdraw from their social lives because they are embarrassed to ask family and friends to repeat themselves over and over again.
They might be afraid they will misunderstand a conversation and answer with wrong comments.
Profound hearing loss
People with profound hearing loss may only hear very loud sounds. They can’t hear other people speaking unless they are extremely loud. They can’t understand what others are saying without a hearing aid or cochlear implant.
What causes hearing loss?
There are a number of factors that can cause hearing loss. These include aging, noise exposure, ear infections, illnesses or infections, medications and heredity.
Age
Some parts in the ear become less elastic the older we get. The tiny hairs get damaged and will have difficulties in responding to sound waves. Hearing loss can get worse with the passage of time.
Noise exposure
Jobs where loud noise is a regular part of the working environment, such as construction or factory work, can lead to damage inside your ear. This type of noise is commonly referred to as occupational noise.
There is also another type of noise know as recreational noise. Recreational activities with dangerously high noise levels include motorcycling or listening to loud music.
Ear infections
Ear infections can make fluid build up in the middle ear. Usually, the hearing loss from an ear infection is mild and goes away shortly. But if you don’t treat the infections, they can lead to serious long-term problems.
Illnesses and infections
Measles, mumps, syphilis, and meningitis are just a few of the conditions that can cause hearing loss.
Medications
Some types of drugs — including some antibiotics, large amounts of aspirin (in large amounts) — can cause hearing loss. Sometimes hearing will return once you stop taking the drug. In most cases, the hearing loss is permanent.
Heredity
Your genetic makeup may make you more susceptible to ear damage from sound or deterioration from aging. In Zimbabwe, there are a number of organisations in the health sector that are championing the fight against hearing loss.
One such organisation is Wizear, which has partnered with the Ministry of Health and Child Care. Wizear is led by Dr Clemence Chidziva, an ENT Specialist.
The Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Wizear and CBM are busy with the preparations of World Hearing Day, which is celebrated on March 3 every year.
This year’s celebration will see the launch of the World Report on Hearing.
