Status of global hearing loss

According to the World Health Organization, there are currently about 466 million people worldwide suffering from hearing problems. It will bring about $750 billion in damage every year.

There are approximately 34 million children and 432 million adults among the 466 million people. According to this speed, about 20 million people will suffer hearing loss by 2050. This is a huge hidden danger.

The approximate number of hearing losses in various countries

Netherlands = 2 million

Poland = 5 million people

Spain = 5.5 million

Italy = 7 million people

France = 7.5 million

The United Kingdom = 7.5 million

Germany = 10 million people

The United States = 35 million

China = 12 million

It can be seen that the number of people with hearing impairment in China is the largest in the world, accounting for about one-tenth of the Chinese population.

According to WHO research, the analysis of research data in middle-income and high-income countries shows that about 12% of people aged 35-35 have a very loud volume when using personal audio equipment, which is beyond normal. Safety is worth the scope. Long-term use of the device can cause permanent damage to the ear's sensory cells, resulting in irreversible hearing loss. For example, a person who is exposed to more than 85 decibels in eight hours or 100 decibels in 15 minutes is an unsafe sound level.

At the same time, WHO recommends a maximum of 85 decibels per day for workplace noise exposure and a duration of up to 8 hours.

Teenagers and youth can better protect their hearing through measures such as lowering the volume of personal audio equipment, wearing earplugs in noisy places, using fitted in-ear or headsets, preferably noise-canceling headphones. They can also limit the amount of time spent on noisy activities and limit the use of personal audio equipment to less than an hour. They can also monitor their security listening levels with the help of a smartphone app. In addition, they should also pay attention to the warning signs of hearing loss and regularly check the hearing.

The government should also play a role in developing and implementing strict entertainment noise laws and raising awareness of the risk of hearing loss through public awareness campaigns. Parents, teachers, and doctors can explain safe listening knowledge to young people, while entertainment venue managers can maintain safe noise levels at the venue, use volume controls, and provide earplugs and “quiet rooms” to customers. Manufacturers can design personal audio devices with security features and display secure hearing information in products and on the packaging.

It is imperative to treat and prevent hearing loss
One of the best ways to treat hearing loss is to wear a hearing aid. But from the current hearing aid usage rate is not optimistic. Especially in China, the national wearing rate is less than 5% and very poor. The wear rate in developed countries is about 30%. The disparity is huge.
Next, the national government needs to vigorously promote and prevent hearing loss. Improve people's awareness and prevention of hearing loss. Solve the problem from the root cause.



See source: https://search.un.org  https://www.who.int/