The world report on hearing released by the WHO says over 1.5 billion people are currently living with some degree of hearing loss, this is expected to grow to 2.5 billion by 2050.
Currently, 1.1 billion young people are also said to be at risk of permanent hearing loss.
One of Ghana’s very few audiologist consultants with the HASS West Africa Hearing Clinic, Dr Roger Boakye-Akufo highlights some causes of hearing loss.
“It used to be elderly people who had hearing problems, but now we are beginning to see the younger people suffering from hearing-related problems because of their lifestyle. They now use the big headset to listen to music because it’s fashionable and everyone is doing it so the more you expose yourself to loud noises, the more you expose yourself to hearing loss which we call noise-induced hearing loss.”
Boakye-Akufo told Asaase Radio’s journalist Nana Adjoa Entsuah-Hagan that “when someone is within an arm-stretch and the person is talking to you and you cannot hear the person, it tells you that the environment in which you are, the noise there is harmful to you”.
The Lartiorkor story
The story of Lartiorkor is peculiar to a lot more people here in Ghana and across the globe, while some might not even be aware of the condition, many others who get to know live in self-denial.
“I have a problem with my right ear and if I’m to cover my right ear I wouldn’t be able to hear any more. It started when I was eight years. When I’m listening to music with my earpiece, I only use the left ear. My mom told me that as a child, I used broom sticks to tickle my ear loops”.
For Lartiorkor, she came to terms with the condition in class two, but only sought help when she was in Junior High School. A doctor told her there is no problem with her hearing but to date, she is convinced her right ear does not function.
The theme for this year’s World Hearing Day is “To hear for life, listen with care” and the main idea behind the theme is to take good care of your hearing so you can maintain your hearing for as long as you live your life.
Boakye-Akufo said that hearing loss often referred to as an “invisible disability” rarely comes with symptoms.
“One worrying fact is that you can instantly lose your hearing in some cases if you are exposed to an unwanted loud noise or sound,” he added.
He advised the general public to take at least some days in the year to check on the ears.
As we celebrate World Hearing Day, a Nobel Laureate and UN messenger of peace, Malala Yousafzai, who also suffered hearing loss as well as the World Health Organisation are asking all of us to listen with care if we want to hear for life.
Below is a full report by Nana Adjoa Entsuah-Hagan:
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