Nagpur: Doctors associated with the Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI) Vidarbha branch on Sunday said that nearly half the incidence of hearing loss through public health measures such as vaccination, proper care around pregnancy, avoiding loud noises and certain drugs can be stopped. This day marked the beginning of the International Week of the Deaf.
AOI Vidarbha President Dr Prashant Nikhade said, “We recommend that young people avoid loud noises and use of audio players for more than an hour per day.”
The association organized a walkathon on Sunday in which hundreds of citizens participated. It ran from Lokmat Square to Variety Square and back to Lokmat Square.
ENT specialist Dr Nandu Kolwadkar said, “The aim was to educate people and highlight the issues faced by the deaf community, promoting their acceptance and integration into the social fabric while celebrating their achievements and culture.”
Doctors said that effective strategies to reduce the chances of hearing loss at different stages of life include vaccination, good maternal and child care practices, genetic counselling, identification and management of common ear conditions.
Ashish Disawal said that early detection and support in children is especially important. “For many people, hearing aids, sign language, cochlear implants and captions are useful,” he said.
Pediatricians said that children should undergo hearing tests several times during schooling. Dr Vijay Dhote, President, Academy of Pediatrics, Nagpur said, “Children are first taught at the time of entering school, then at the age of 6, 8 and 10 years, then at least once during middle school and at least once Should get tested during high school.” He said that children with deafness often do not get school education.
Neonatologist Dr Pratima Shah said that Universal Newborn Hearing Screening with ‘1-3-6’ formula is recommended. “One month of screening, three months of confirmation and six months of management is the key to effective management of hearing loss,” she said.
* About International Week of the Deaf
– Celebrated every year during the last full week of September
This year’s theme is ‘Celebrating Thriving Deaf Communities’
– Prevalence of hearing impairment in India is around 6.3%
Adult-onset deafness is 7.6% and childhood-onset is 2.4%
– 24 out of every 1,000 children suffer from severe to severe hearing loss
– More than 1 lakh babies are born with hearing loss every year
– Early detection of hearing loss and ear diseases is important
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