DON’T IGNORE SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS, IT GROWS WORSE WITH TIME
Agrowing number of patients in the UAE are benefitting from the increased local availability of hightech devices to treat hearing loss. Experts believe that the advanced devices are giving hope of a more lasting solution, and are increasingly available in the UAE.
Among the most successful alternatives is the Cochlear Implant which, rather than simply amplifying sound, uses electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve, said an ENT specialist at Healthpoint in Abu Dhabi.
In the UAE, it is estimated that hearing loss affects approximately four per cent of the population. Not to mention the growing number of undiagnosed people who are unaware of their hearing loss issues.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 5.2 per cent of the world’s population suffers
The exponential growth of technology has given individuals a new lease, by removing any obstacles that stop them from experiencing life.”
Dr Bernard Hoffman, head of the ENT department, Healthpoint
from hearing loss. It also estimates the financial cost of hearing loss to be $750 billion every year but the cost is also personal and contributes to an individual’s overall health. Untreated hearing loss affects communication and can lead to social isolation, anxiety, depression and cognitive decline.
According to Dr Bernard Hoffman, head of the ENT department at Healthpoint, many patients find their condition growing worse over time. As hearing deteriorates, the most common treatment — wearing a hearing aid to amplify sound entering the ear — will gradually become less effective.
“The exponential growth of technology has given individuals a new lease, by removing any obstacles that stop them from experiencing life with all of their physical faculties, and in good health,” said Dr Hoffman.
A survey done last year showed that people in the UAE believed that getting older is the main cause of hearing loss when it can also be a birth defect. Regardless of the reason, previous studies show that typically, people wait an average of 10 years between first noticing signs of hearing loss and getting tested, and almost half of those surveyed indicated that this is mainly due to affected people not noticing as they believe it’s a gradual process.
Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant under-secretary of health centres and clinics at the Ministry of Health and Prevention(MoHP), said: “We have been consistently highlighting the significance of early diagnosis and treatment to improve the quality of people’s lives.”
We have been consistently highlighting the significance of early diagnosis and treatment to improve the quality of people’s lives.”
Dr Hussain Abdul Rahman Al Rand, assistant under-secretary of health centres and clinics, MoHP