10 keys to prevent hearing loss
The Hearing loss It is characterized by the gradual loss of sensitivity when listening to the sounds that every human being can hear. According to the World Health Organization,1.1 billion young people could be at risk of suffering from hearing loss due to harmful listening practices, such as being exposed to sounds that exceed the recommended sound pressure level, that is, in general listening to music that is too loud.
The causes of hearing loss
The most common causes of a hearing loss are age and overexposure to loud noises. Currently, according to the estimates of the World Health Organization, WHO, near 360 million people suffer from hearing loss or deafness worldwide. Dr. Denia Lafuente, head of the Unit of Deafness and Vertigo of the Hospital Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Madrid, points out that, in addition, there are also a number of causes that can lead to hearing loss and that it is important to know:
- Congenital (for example, rubella during pregnancy)
- Hereditary or genetic
- Related with age
- Exposure to noise or sounds with a very high sound level
- Ear infections (otitis)
- Middle ear diseases (otosclerosis)
- Inner ear diseases (Menière's syndrome)
- Ototoxic medicines harmful to the ear
- Earwax
Symptoms of hearing loss
In order to be able to identify the beginning of the hearing loss in time, there is a series of symptoms that upon detection, it is necessary to go to the specialist to carry out the corresponding medical assessment and indicate the diagnosis and appropriate treatment:
- Feeling that people around you are talking between your teeth
- Difficulties to hear television or you listen with too loud a volume
- Difficulty hearing someone when they call from behind or from another room
- Difficulty communicating in a small group of people, for example, in meetings
- Communication difficulties in noisy environments, such as a family meal, a party ...
- Need to ask people to repeat what they say
- Do not listen to the tict-ac of the clock, the running water or the birds singing
- Difficulty hearing the doorbell of the door or the telephone
- Need to read lips of the people who speak
- Need to concentrate really to hear someone speak or whisper
10 tips to prevent hearing loss
According to Dr. Denia Lafuente, there are good practices that must be followed to prevent hearing loss, starting from the smallest in the home:
1. Perform early detection tests of deafness to all babies
2. Medical monitoring and follow-up suitable for pregnant women
3. Adequate compliance with the vaccination schedule
4. Vaccination against rubella of all the girls
5. Do not give children medication without a prescription
6. Avoid ototoxic medications. It is the doctor who will indicate which medication is suitable for the treatment of each case.
7. Consult with the otolaryngologist if diseases or diseases of the ear recur repeatedly
8. Use protectors when working exposed to intense or continuous noises
9. Respect safe volume levels of music sound players and in entertainment venues
10. Consult the specialist if you have doubts and discomfort in hearing, if they have tinnitus (beeps and noises), feeling of clogging, discomfort to loud noises, problems hearing certain sounds, conversations etc.
Marisol Nuevo Espín
Advice: Dr. Denia Lafuente, responsible for the Unit of Deafness and Vertigo of the Hospital Nuestra Señora del Rosario in Madrid
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- Music in children improves hearing
