The World Health Organization (WHO) has established a special day dedicated to ear and hearing health. Every year on March 3, International Day for Ear and Hearing, known as World Hearing Day, is celebrated. World Hearing Day).
It is expected that on this day, medical and volunteer organizations in different countries should hold events aimed at raising public awareness of possible hearing-related problems.
In turn, WHO promises to provide comprehensive support to member states in the development and implementation of national programs of therapeutic and preventive care for people with ear diseases and hearing problems.
To date, hearing loss is considered the most common sensory disability in the world. Millions of people around the world live with disabling hearing loss. According to WHO, by 2050, almost 2.5 billion people worldwide –, meaning one in four – will suffer some degree of hearing loss.
The main causes of deafness and hearing loss (incomplete hearing loss) are genetic disorders, chronic ear infections, a number of diseases: rubella, measles, mumps, meningitis, —, as well as exposure to certain medications and harmful environmental factors, primarily noise.
According to doctors, more than half of all cases of deafness and other hearing impairments can be prevented by eliminating the causes of their development. Preventive measures most often include immunization of the population, protection of maternal and child health, and ensuring occupational health.
In addition, doctors give advice to parents. In particular, it is recommended to ensure that dirty water does not get into the child’s ears; do not spank the child, especially on the ears; teach children not to insert foreign objects into their ears; in case of any alarming symptoms, go to the hospital immediately.
In addition, in 2015, to commemorate International Ear and Hearing Health Day, WHO launched the «Don't Put Your Ear in Peril!» campaign to highlight the risks of unsafe listening and promote safer practices. And today it continues.
Doctors are increasingly concerned about the growing level of exposure to loud noises in cultural, entertainment and sports institutions such as nightclubs, discos, pubs, bars, cinemas, concert halls, stadiums and even fitness centers. Modern technology is becoming more common, and often devices such as audio players are used to listen to music at unsafe volume levels and for extended periods of time. Regular exposure to loud noises poses a serious threat to the development of irreversible hearing loss.
WHO estimates that more than 1.1 billion young people in the world may be at risk of hearing loss due to unsafe listening practices. More than 43 million people aged 12-35 have hearing loss leading to disability for various reasons.
WHO, in collaboration with partners around the world, is therefore warning young people and their families about the risks of hearing loss due to noise and calling on governments to pay more attention to this issue as part of broader efforts to prevent hearing loss in general.
• Infographics – poster «3 March — World Hearing Day»