Hearing impairment

The Indian youth is fast becoming hearing impaired, thanks to the increasing use of electronic gadgets leader like the "hands free" earphones.
Hearing impairment extracts a heavy social and emotional toll. It is known to cause fatigue, tension, stress and depression; and leads to withdrawal from social situations, which cause rejection and loneliness. It reduces alertness and increases risk to personal safety, impairs memory and the ability to learn new tasks, reduces job performance and earning power and impacts negatively on overall health.
Said leading audiologist Dr R. Oza, honourary audiologist and head of the department at Mumbai’s Nanavati Hospital, "Since as much as 20 per cent of hearing disability is caused at birth or immediately thereafter, it is essential that parents be aware of the early signs of a hearing problem. Early detection and treatment can help the child lead as normal a life as possible." Paediatricians can help detect many early warning signs. Strides in technology have meant that hearing impaired children can be helped to enjoy as normal a life as possible. The US-headquartered global hearing solutions company Starkey was launched in India by commencing a programme to raise awareness of the causes, challenges, problems and solutions for the hearing impaired in India. One of the key objectives is to focus on hearing impaired children, one of the most vulnerable segments along with the aged.
"Inclusion of the hearing impaired is very important to Starkey and is the focus of our technology. Customised nanotechnology-based hearing solutions and handling the ‘given up all hope cases’ across the globe are prime motivators for Starkey Labs," said Dr Girija Sunder of Starkey. Only 16 per cent of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss during a physical checkup. So, a majority of hearing loss among adults remains undetected. Hearing loss and listening needs differ from person to person. The audiologist helps patients determine how much a hearing aid can improve hearing. There are several styles of "state-of-the-art" hearing aids.
Mr Prashant Kamble audiologist at Wockhardt Hospital cautioned, "Today’s plugged-in lifestyle has its own downside in terms of increasing hearing impairment. Listening to iPods, playing video games and exposure to loud music in discos are common to urban youth. They don’t realise the significant impact it can have on their hearing. They need to turn down the volume if they want to continue to enjoy the music."

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