Hearing loss on the rise? 62% of Indian families affected in five years, says survey

Hyderabad: One of the most insidious types of pollution is sound pollution, which many, especially those living in the metros, don’t really take into consideration. Around 63 million people, or approximately 6.3 per cent of the Indian population, suffer from significant auditory impairment, making hearing loss a major issue, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

This data is in line with the results of a nationwide survey done by LocalCircles that found that 62 per cent of respondents said one or more individuals in their family has had onset of some level of hearing loss in the last five years.

Interestingly, 11 per cent of respondents stated it was due to the impact of Covid/Covid vaccine, although the proof of such an opinion needs extensive scientific research.

The dangers of loud music

Recently, veteran singer Alka Yagnik revealed that she is suffering from a rare sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). In an Instagram post on June 18 last year, the singer said that she was diagnosed with the disorder after a viral attack. Yagnik’s case highlights the dangers of loud music and the overuse of headphones.

The survey also stated that 4 per cent of respondents attributed hearing loss to the use of headphones. Similarly, more research is needed in this aspect.

What is sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL)?

Hearing loss can be of two types: conductive or sensorineural. Anything related to the eardrum is conductive, while conditions related to the inner ear, the cochlea or the nerve endings and the nerve cells are of the sensorineural category.

Conductive hearing loss is caused by physical obstruction that keeps sounds from reaching the inner ear, whereas SNHL is caused by damage to the auditory nerve or the hair cells of the inner ear. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) data, noise-induced hearing loss is the second most common type of SNHL after age-related reasons.

Factors contributing to hearing loss

Hearing loss is considered the most common sensory deficit in India, with a large portion of the affected population being children.

An even larger percentage of our population suffers from milder degrees of hearing loss and unilateral (one-sided) hearing loss. Factors like infections (like measles, mumps), genetic predisposition, exposure to loud noise and complications during birth can contribute to hearing loss. The problem gets compounded as many people are unaware of the importance of early detection and treatment of hearing loss.

Factors impairing hearing recovery

Inadequate availability of audiologists and hearing aids in rural areas, as well as the social stigma associated with hearing impairment or usage of hearing aids, also leads to reluctance to seek help when required.

LocalCircles said that the people experiencing hearing loss could be higher than those who are seeking treatment. The survey showing that 62 per cent of respondents are experiencing hearing loss is a massive number and indicates that a sizeable population is experiencing some level of hearing loss, which has gotten introduced since 2020, coincidentally since the Covid pandemic began.

Here are some important findings of the survey:

• 56% of respondents attributed hearing loss to aging.

• 12% of those surveyed attributed hearing loss to genetics/hereditary reasons.

• 4% of respondents attributed hearing loss to the use of headphones.

• 11% of respondents stated it was due to the impact of Covid/Covid vaccine.

There is a need to conduct more research on how Covid and Covid vaccines impact hearing. Similarly, the increasing use of headphones and how it impacts hearing needs to be studied further.

Given the importance of hearing in daily life, there is a greater need to create awareness to safeguard the quality of hearing and acting early.

Extent of survey

The LocalCircles survey received over 31,000 responses from citizens located in 311 districts of India. As many as 64 per cent of respondents were men while 36 per cent respondents were women; 47 per cent of respondents were from tier 1, 26 per cent from tier 2, and 27 per cent respondents were from tier 3, 4, 5 and rural districts.