World Hearing Awareness Day was held on March 3.
However, hearing loss and deafness are not receiving the attention it requires, said audiologist Candice van Heerden of Farrarmere.
The theme for this year’s campaign was To Hear For Life, Listen with Care, which she feels is relevant, as professionals are seeing more cases of hearing loss amongst the youth who are always ‘plugged in’.
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“When our eyesight diminishes, the signs are quite clear,” she said.
“However, with hearing loss, the symptoms are systematic as we gradually lose pitches and tones. The brain will automatically start ‘auto-filling’ speech contexts, which creates the illusion of good hearing.”
She said prolonged use of earphones, especially amongst the youth, is leading to follicles (hairs) within the cochlea suffering irreparable damage.
“Constant exposure to high noise volumes (decibels) causes damage to one’s hearing and leads to hearing loss,” she said.
“Children aged between five and six should be screened before entering the formal schooling system, as symptoms of hearing loss can still be corrected before the age of seven.
“Hearing loss is mentally draining and could harm educational development.”
Key points to remember about sound:
• 0-80 decibels is considered healthy for hearing and include natural sounds and speech.
• 80-90 decibels is representative of a busy road, where eight hours of exposure could lead to damage.
• 90 decibels is likened to the pitch of a hairdryer where two hours of use could lead to damage, especially to anyone within the beauty industry.
• 100 decibels is the same as being at a rock concert during which two minutes can cause damage.
• 120 decibels is the same frequency as a gunshot or vuvuzela, which causes immediate damage to the cochlea.
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