Hearing loss comes much earlier now, kids are vulnerable

Jun 09 2016 : The Times of India (Delhi)

Till about a decade ago, people would complain about hearing loss once they crossed the age of 60. Doctors would term it an acceptable factor of ageing. But how do you explain a 22-year-old complaining about ringing in the years or tinnitus, which is a precursor to hearing deficit? “It's a compounding problem, created by multiple factors, including chronic exposure to noise pollution,“ says Dr J M Hans.

The ENT surgeon, who has been practising in Delhi for over three decades, says hearing loss due to ageing has been preponed by 10-15 year due to factors such as noise pollution. “We now get patients who are 45-50 years old complaining about hearing deficit. They are initially put on medicines to slow down the hearing loss, and in rare cases aids are prescribed,“ he says.
Dr A K Rai, head of ENT and medical superintendent at Safdarjung Hospital, says that unlike air pollution, there have been few studies to assess the prevalence of noise pollution and its health impact. “From clinical experience, we can conclude that this is an impending crisis. There is an urgent need to tackle noise pollution created by heavy vehicular movement among others,“ he adds.
According to a World Health Organisation report, 63 million people (6.3%) are affected by hearing loss in India. The global health advisory body has also found direct links between steady exposure to noise pollution and higher blood pressure and fatal heart attacks.
“Chronic exposure to noise can affect in two ways. It can cause hearing impairment, tinnitus, earache and noise-induced hearing loss. It can also lead to secondary health issues such as sleep disturbance, interruption of speech and social interaction and disturbance of concentration and hence of learning and long-term memory,“ says Dr L M Parashar, ENT surgeon at Apollo Spectra Hospital.
Industrial workers, traffic police and those working in areas with high exposure to noise, for example ground staff and technicians at airports, are highly vulnerable. But recent research reveals that children may be the worse hit. An article published in the February issue of Indian Pediatrics states exposure to noise during pregnancy may result in high-frequency hearing loss in newborns, growth retardation, cochlear damage, prematurity and birth defects. “Newborns exposed to sound above 45 decibels may experience increase in blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate; decreased oxygen saturation; and increased caloric consumption,“ it adds.
Noise pollution has also been linked to learning disabilities, attention difficulties, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases in older children. The safe exposure limit for noise is 85 decibels for eight hours a day . Anything beyond that can cause non-auditory effects, said Dr Parashar.