To hear for life, listen with care

One of the frustrating feelings one could go through is the loss of the sense of hearing. It affects effective communication.

Unfortunately, there are many people around the world who have lost their sense of hearing either partially or completely.

According to 2021 statistics by the World Health Organisation (WHO), over five per cent of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss (432 million adults and 34 million children). It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or one in every 10 people – will have disabling hearing loss.

The data further indicates that nearly 80 per cent of people with disabling hearing loss live in low-and middle-income countries.

Also, the prevalence of hearing loss increases with age; among those older than 60 years, over 25 per cent are affected by disabling hearing loss.

In Ghana, data on people with hearing impairment is not clear as the numbers are not well reported. However, according to the Ghana National Association for the Deaf (GNAD) and the Ghana Statistical Service, there are about 211,000 people who have hearing disorder.

To raise awareness of the issue and how to prevent deafness and hearing loss, as well as promote ear and hearing care across the world, the WHO in 2007 instituted the World Hearing Day, and it has been commemorated every March 3.

This year’s Day was marked on the theme: “To hear for life, listen with care,” and it focused on the importance and means of hearing loss prevention through safe listening.

There could not have been a more appropriate theme for this year, particularly in Ghana, given that noise pollution is becoming an increasing health hazard in the urban areas. This is done voluntarily or involuntarily as most people are ignorant of the health threats it poses.

For instance, the unnecessary honking of horns by drivers and the dawn broadcast by preachers on our streets, with their blurring loudspeakers, have been identified as some of the highest noise pollutants in our communities.

In Ghana, the ambient noise allowed by the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) for residential areas are 55 decibels during the day and 48 decibels at night. However, research has shown that in most places in Ghana today, the noise levels are very high and threatening.

Ironically, technology has also come with its attendant threats as many people have resorted to using earphones and gadgets as they use their mobile phones. That, research has also shown, is impacting negatively on the health of many people but most of them are ignorant about it.

Some of the easily identifiable symptoms of hearing impairment are when one frequently asks others to repeat themselves, if one finds him or herself saying “what?” all the time, or needs to be looking at someone to hear what they’re saying (by also reading their lips) or if one turns the television or radio to a volume others find too loud.

From the WHO statistics, about 60 per cent of hearing loss is due to avoidable causes that can be prevented through implementation of public health measures and education.

It is for this reason that the Daily Graphic is adding its voice to the theme chosen for this year’s celebration that “to hear for life, we must listen with care!”

It is important to minimise noise at all levels and also get the right treatment at the right time so that a medical condition at a point does not end up affecting our hearing.

Everyone has to make a conscious effort to protect his or her hearing to enjoy the privilege of being able to hear, for, once the sense of hearing is lost, it may never be recovered.

Like the sense of sight, the sense of sound or hearing has no substitute so do all you can to protect yours!