Episode #93 - Hearing loss
3 March 2023 | Science conversation
Podcast
Transcript
Vismita Gupta-Smith
What are the early signs of hearing loss? Can it be cured? And what can you do to protect your hearing?
Hello and welcome to Science in 5. I am Vismita Gupta-Smith. We are talking to Dr Shelly Chadha, today. Welcome, Shelly. Let's get started with what are the early signs of hearing loss?
Dr Shelly Chadha
Hi Vismita. Well, perhaps one of the earliest indications that you could have a hearing loss is when you are
not able to make out very clearly what people are saying in a noisy place like a restaurant. If you go with
friends and you have to keep asking them to repeat themselves because of the background noise and you canmake out clearly, then that is when you should suspect that you could have hearing loss.
Also, if you have to frequently turn up the volume on your television or your radio or listening device that
you are listening to music on, for example.
Another indication is if people are telling you that you speak loudly, that could also be an indication that you
are developing hearing loss.
And finally, if you have a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in your ear, what is called tinnitus. Tinnitus
could be one of the first indications that you have a hearing loss.
So if you have any of these signs, it's important to take note of them and to get your hearing checked as soon as possible.
You could also check your hearing yourself, do an initial check using WHO's free app, which is called
“hearWHO". So you can also use that app to do a first screening and see if you need to get
a hearing test done.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Shelly, can hearing loss be cured?
Dr Shelly Chadha
Vismita, there are some causes of hearing loss that can be cured. For example, if you have wax obstructing in your ear making you feel a little blocked or if you have an ear infection or if the ear drum ruptures, these are things which can be treated by medicines or by surgery, but a lot of hearing loss cannot really be cured.
What can be done is that people with hearing loss can communicate better through the use of devices like
hearing aids and cochlear implants.
What's important for these interventions to be effective is that they should be initiated at the earliest possible.
And for that, it's important that we get our hearing checked regularly and we watch for those signs of hearing loss that I already mentioned earlier.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
So, Shelly, talk to us about the steps we can take every day to protect our hearing.
Dr Shelly Chadha
I'd like to start with what you should not do. So firstly, don't use anything - any Q-tips, cotton buds, pins,
sticks to clean your ears. The ear is a self-cleaning organ. It doesn't need to be helped with these. And actually they can lead to infection. That can lead to obstruction. They can lead to rupture of the ear drum. What you should also not do is: if you have a ear problem to use home remedies like putting oil into the ear.
Also don't share ear plugs with others because that can transmit infection from one to the other. What you
should do is to maintain the volume of your device. So if you're using headphones or your phones, make sure
you keep the volume below 60% of the maximum.
Whether you are using headphones or ear phones for work or for pleasure, this is a common principle across
the board. It's also important if you're using it for listening to music to limit the amount of time you spend on
it and try to monitor your listening with the use of inbuilt apps which are available on your phones. If you're
using the headphones for work, try to give your ears a break from time to time by using just the audio output
of the computer to listen to a meeting or whatever it is you are listening to, if that's possible. And make sure
that you don't keep using headphones again for leisure activities.
Also, when you're in noisy places, use earplugs. Like if you're going to a noisy club or a noisy party, make
sure you carry your little earplugs along and use them. So these simple tips can
actually help us by making sure that we hear well today and keep hearing well across the course of our life.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you, Shelly. Don't forget to check the "hearWHO" app, which is free of cost. Until next time
then stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
should do is to maintain the volume of your device. So if you're using headphones or your phones, make sure
you keep the volume below 60% of the maximum.
Whether you are using headphones or ear phones for work or for pleasure, this is a common principle across
the board. It's also important if you're using it for listening to music to limit the amount of time you spend on
it and try to monitor your listening with the use of inbuilt apps which are available on your phones. If you're
using the headphones for work, try to give your ears a break from time to time by using just the audio output
of the computer to listen to a meeting or whatever it is you are listening to, if that's possible. And make sure
that you don't keep using headphones again for leisure activities.
Also, when you're in noisy places, use earplugs. Like if you're going to a noisy club or a noisy party, make
sure you carry your little earplugs along and use them. So these simple tips can
actually help us by making sure that we hear well today and keep hearing well across the course of our life.
Vismita Gupta-Smith
Thank you, Shelly. Don't forget to check the "hearWHO" app, which is free of cost. Until next time
then stay safe, stay healthy and stick with science.
Please access hearWHO -- a free app available for android and iOS devices to test your hearing and keep a track of hearing over time. The app is available in English, Spanish and Mandarin. The pro version can be used by health workers.