A press conference was held by the Turkish Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery Association in order to draw attention to the hearing impairment and to raise awareness on this issue on the occasion of the “3 March World Ear and Hearing Day”. Speaking at the press conference, Association President Prof. Dr. Mete Kıroğlu, there is no such thing as deaf and dumb anymore, all hearing loss can be cured; but early diagnosis and intervention are important and gave information about the factors that lead to hearing loss and last-stage treatments.
YOU CAN LISTEN TO MUSIC WITH HEADPHONES UP TO 60 MINUTES A DAY
Saying that the ear, which starts to age from the moment we are born, is the fastest aging organ, Prof. Dr. Kıroğlu said, “An important part of congenital or acquired hearing loss can be prevented. One of the most important causes of hearing loss is exposure to loud noise. Especially loud music with state-of-the-art headphones harms the ears without realizing it. In recent years, hearing loss has been observed in young people for this reason. To protect ear health, you can listen to music at a suitable height for a maximum of 60 minutes a day. If the person is going to enter an environment with loud noise that day, for example with music, he should reduce the time accordingly. Another misbehavior that harms ear health is listening to music with headphones to fall asleep.” said.
PLUG YOUR EARS IF THERE IS A LOUD SOUND
Stating that exposure to loud noise damages the ears, Prof. Dr. Kıroğlu said, “For ear health, loud contact should be reduced. For example, if there is a loud noise in a place, make sure to plug your ears in such loud environments. Normal city traffic has an average of 85 decibels (dB). The cells in our inner ear can withstand this sound for up to 8 hours, longer exposure will cause permanent damage. If we were exposed to traffic noise for 8 hours that day, we should not listen to music on the same day. Let’s increase 85 dB to 88 dB, then the allowable time is 4 hours. Our inner ear cells can withstand 91 dB for 2 hours and aircraft noise for 95 dB for 1 hour. A sound with an intensity of 120 dB creates pain in our ears. Those working in loud environments should definitely protect their ears with appropriate earplugs.” he stated.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO BE AWARE OF THE LOSS EARLY
Emphasizing that early diagnosis is important in eliminating hearing loss, as in all diseases, Prof. Dr. Kıroğlu said, “Recognition of hearing loss at an early stage is important for the success of the treatment, regardless of age. Otherwise, the lost sounds become imperceptible to the brain over time. Apart from congenital reasons, infections during pregnancy can also cause hearing loss in babies. The accumulation of fluid in the middle ear, the misuse of some medications such as painkillers and antibiotics can also damage the ears. said.
LISTEN TO THE FUTURE
Stating that the theme of World Ear and Hearing Day this year is “Listen to the Future” determined by the World Health Organization, Prof. Dr. Kıroğlu continued: “Now, children around the age of 1 with hearing loss can also hear and speak with bionic ear surgeries. If the inner ear has never been developed in a child, it is possible to provide hearing by placing an electrode directly on the hearing center in the brain stem, even if the auditory nerve is not present. The important thing is to provide early diagnosis. Hearing screening tests performed in the newborn period play an important role in detecting hearing loss at an early stage.
