Since realizing her hearing loss, the 40-year-old female patient in Hanoi has used a hearing aid to maintain communication. However, after a period of time, even with assistive devices, she still cannot clearly hear the person in front of her. The increasingly reduced hearing ability makes familiar conversations become a pressure in daily life.
Currently, my family has supported funding for cochlear implantation. I hope to regain the sound of life as soon as possible, the sound that I haven't heard in nearly 33 years," she said.
Poor hearing is present in many people of working age
At the National Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, in the group of 52 patients who received cochlear implants in recent years, Dr. Le Hong Anh - Head of the Department of Neurology, said that only about 55% have normal mental state. More than 40% have symptoms of anxiety disorders or depression, including 2 patients who have had suicidal thoughts. Notably, about 65% of patients belong to the young group, who are in the learning and working age.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 5% of the global population, equivalent to 360 million people, are hearing impaired. By 2050, this number could increase to nearly 2.5 billion people, of which more than 700 million people need hearing rehabilitation.
In Vietnam, according to the General Statistics Office, in 2016 there were about 2.5 million people with hearing and speech difficulties. Medicine warns that this is one of the top 3 causes of intellectual decline and Alzheimer's, when prolonged sound deprivation will directly degenerate nerve neurons in the cerebral cortex.
Dangers from noise and listening habits
One of the causes specially noted by experts is auditory injury. Loud headphones, noise in the workplace or entertainment environment such as bars, music venues... can all become factors causing damage to the hearing system if exposed regularly and for a long time.
In the cochlea, there are hair cells that are responsible for receiving and converting sounds into signals for the brain to process. When subjected to the effects of high-intensity sounds for a long time, these cells can be damaged and their recovery ability is very limited.
Exposure to sounds above 80 dB for a long time can increase the risk of damage to hearing cells. This is a noteworthy issue in the context that headphones are increasingly becoming a familiar item for young people," Dr. Hong Anh warned.
According to Dr. Hong Anh, in many countries, programs to raise awareness about auditory health and prevent noise pollution are being implemented regularly. Meanwhile, in Vietnam, noise control as well as propaganda on how to protect hearing are still not really focused on.
For severe and deep hearing impairments, cochlear implantation can be indicated if appropriate conditions are met. However, cost is still one of the barriers for many patients.
The cost of cochlear implantation is currently not supported by health insurance. This is a large expense, causing many families to consider, even postpone treatment. If there is appropriate support policy, patients will have more opportunities to access hearing recovery methods," Dr. Hong Anh said.
To reduce the risk of hearing damage, doctors recommend that young people control both volume and headphone usage time. The 60/60 rule can be applied, meaning listening at below 60% of the device's power and after about 60 minutes should stop to let the ear rest for about 10-15 minutes. For people who regularly work in noisy environments, the use of appropriate hearing protection devices is also very necessary.
