According to research, the number of people with hearing loss is expected to double by 2060. Warning about the need to be careful about protecting the ears, Istanbul Arel University Faculty of Medicine Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Güneş said, “Loud noise damages the outer hairy cells in the ear. Once these are damaged, there is no possibility of regeneration and recovery. Therefore, when loud concerts, exposure to loud sounds, explosions, and impacts damage them, there is no going back.”
Hearing losses are increasing day by day. Making various statements about this, Ear Nose Throat Specialist Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Güneş said, “Congenital hearing loss is more or less constant. However, with the increase in life expectancy and the increase in the elderly population, the number of people with hearing loss is also increasing. Apart from this, hearing losses caused by external factors are also seen.”
“Constant exposure to loud noise is insidious”
Stating that after the industrial revolution, exposure to noise in people's working life has increased a lot, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selçuk Güneş said, “Occupational health and safety teams should step in here. It should be ensured to work at healthy sound levels. It is important that protective equipment is complete. By taking such measures, it is necessary to reduce exposure to sound levels that can cause hearing loss. Constant exposure to loud noise in this way is insidious. You don't realize it at the time, but you will gradually experience its effects over the years.”
Speaking about the measures taken by the state for congenital hearing loss, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güneş said, “Newborn screening programs are carried out. This did not exist in the past. It was done with more generalized tests. Now it is compulsory for every newborn with tests that detect very well. This is a great thing because when you rehabilitate a child born with hearing loss when they are only one or two years old, they can continue their lives like normal people.”
“Beware of sudden hearing loss in the young population”
Pointing out that sudden hearing loss can be seen especially in the young population, Istanbul Arel University Faculty of Medicine Faculty Member Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güneş said, “Viral infections and stress are blamed as the cause. People wake up in the morning or during the day and suddenly realize that they cannot hear when they put the phone to their ear. Maybe they could hear it five minutes or a day ago. There is a message I especially want to give to these people. In this group of patients, our success in treatment decreases with the time that passes from the moment they realize hearing loss. The first three days are the most successful period. After three days, we have a slightly lower success rate until the first week, and a lower success rate after the first week until the third week. After the first month, there is no statistically significant result. Therefore, in these cases, go to an ENT specialist immediately,” he warned.
“The age of hearing loss is decreasing for people exposed to noise too much”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güneş said, “The age of hearing loss of people who are exposed to noise too much is decreasing. It can be in the 40s instead of normally in the 50-60s. If the exposure continues, it can progress rapidly and reach the level to use a hearing aid. The situations between chronic exposure and acute exposure are different. Acute exposure requires much higher pitches. But in chronic exposure, louder than the average speaking volume does the same thing in the long run. So the duration of exposure is more important than the sound we are exposed to. Acute exposure to the sound of an explosion can also damage our ears. When we are chronically exposed to an above-average engine sound, our ear can also be damaged.”
“When it is damaged, it is unlikely to regenerate and regenerate itself and recover”
“It is the hairy cell that allows us to hear in our ear and receives those sounds,” said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güneş, ”These hairy cells are divided into two as outer hairy cells and inner hairy cells. Loud sound damages the outer hairy cells. Once these are damaged, there is no possibility of regenerating and regenerating itself and recovering. Therefore, when loud concerts, exposure to loud sounds, explosions and impacts damage them, there is no going back. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent them from being damaged,” he warned.
“Stay away from headphones worn in the ear”
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Güneş finally made the following suggestions:
“Headphones worn on top of the ear should be preferred, not worn inside the ear. Loud sound is always something that disturbs the outer hairy cells. It can definitely damage it. Do not clean the ear by inserting a foreign object into the ear. It is enough to dry the ear with a hair dryer after removing the coarse water outside with a large cotton ball. Therefore, when we put something inside, we push what is inside inwards, we create a reaction there, we cause the secretion to increase. This causes congestion. We encounter external ear canal infections in summer. An otolaryngologist must be visited before the vacation. Then you should go on vacation.”
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