The World Day of the Deaf aims to make visible the problems related to deaf culture, laws and awareness and to sensitize the population about the causes of deafness and its prevention. Learn more about this disease thanks to Dr. Ignacio López de Argumedo, specialist in Otorhinolaryngology.
What is deafness and why does it occur?
Hypoacusis, deafness or hearing impairment is a sensory disorder that consists of the inability to hear sounds, which hinders the development of speech, language and communication. Hearing loss is one of the most common chronic health problems, affecting people of all ages, in all segments of the population and at all socioeconomic levels. Hearing loss affects approximately 17 out of every 1000 children and young people under the age of 18. The incidence increases with age: approximately 314 out of every 1000 people over the age of 65 suffer from hearing loss. The two main causes of deafness can be genetic (hereditary) or environmental factors, although it should be noted that in one third of deaf people, the origin of their deafness has not been diagnosed.
- Genetic causes: these are hereditary and involve the appearance of deafness from the moment of birth or its progressive development.
- Environmental causes: consequence of an illness, trauma, long-term exposure to noise, or medications aggressive to the auditory nerve.
Can the onset of deafness be prevented?
As in other diseases, the prevention of hypoacusis, deafness or hearing loss lies in avoiding the presence of the risk factors that cause it. In cases where the hearing loss is genetic, prevention is not possible, but early detection and implementation of mechanisms for adaptation and treatment according to the case is possible. In hearing loss due to infections or tympanic perforations, it must be emphasized that when these processes occur in the child, they must be properly treated with the measures prescribed by the physician, and avoiding immersion in water or doing it with earplugs indicated for that purpose. In other cases such as work-related hearing loss, the establishment of acoustic risk prevention measures through regulations in companies has reduced its incidence, but compliance must be monitored by both the employee and the company. It is advisable to control exposure to noise over time for workers in factories, airports, construction personnel, musicians, etc., in addition to the use of hearing protection. In more domestic environments, high volumes in music devices through headphones, excessively noisy environments, etc., should be avoided in order to promote healthy hearing hygiene. It should also be taken into account that many medications (anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, etc.) can be toxic to the ear and this should be carefully considered when prescribing them to people with hearing impairment, especially the elderly.
What advances have been made in recent years in the treatment of deafness?
The most important surgical advances for profound sensorineural hearing loss are cochlear implants, consisting of an internal part that is surgically placed and an external part similar to a large hearing aid. In addition, for severe hearing loss, overlapping with the indication for hearing aids, there are fully implantable devices, which are placed subcutaneously in the retroauricular area. The advantages of this last choice over traditional hearing aids are that they are imperceptible externally, offer better sound quality, decrease feedback and occlusion effect and offer better amplification in high frequencies.