The National Hearing Test conducted among residents of 41 Polish cities proved that we are losing our hearing. Often at our own request, because we do not protect ourselves from noise and disregard ailments that may result in deterioration or loss of hearing.

Hearing lossusually happens slowly. We often do not realize that we are losing our hearing because we do not feel any discomfort and we get used toworse hearing . In adults, contact with toxic substances is of great importance. The list of toxins that affect the quality of our hearing is long - from heavy metals (industrial areas), through carbon monoxide disulfide (city smog), to tobacco smoke. Hearing loss is a natural process in the elderly. It is associated with the stiffening of the basement membrane, degeneration of ciliary cells and nerve elements that conduct impulses to the brain.Deafnessaffects men more than women.

Deterioration of hearing - noise and disease spoil our hearing!

The number of people who are losing their hearing due to excessive noise is growing at an alarming rate. Why is this happening? The medical explanation of this phenomenon is quite simple - noise causes gradual damage to the auditory receptors and micro-injuries of the ossicles. These, defending themselves against damage, grow overgrown with additional cartilage and stop moving. Consequently, they cannot transmit the sound wave to the brain. The thicker the cartilage layer, the worse your hearing is. The nuisance of street noise is mentioned by over 70 percent. Poles, but most of them are not aware that it has a negative effect on the organ of hearing, i.e. hearing loss. One in nine Poles is exposed to hearing damage caused by street noise (estimated data). Being in a noise of 80-90 dB for a long time not only shifts the hearing threshold (such a person cannot hear the softest sounds that a person with he althy hearing can hear), but also adversely affects the entire body. The consequences of living in constant noise can be very serious.

Noise is harmful not only to the ears

Danish scholars have found that 19 percent strokes in people over 65 are caused by the noise in the streets. The auditory pathway is connected with the cerebral cortex. Loud noises through the barkIn the brain, they affect the nervous system and, through it, the endocrine glands. This, in turn, has a negative impact on the proper functioning of internal organs, especially the respiratory, circulatory and digestive systems. When the noise exceeds 110-120 dB, disturbances in sight, balance and touch appear.

No research has been conducted in Poland, but it is known that over 200,000 people work in a noise that exceeds acceptable standards. No wonder that 17 percent. occupational diseases are permanent hearing losses. Noise, especially street noise, is also the cause of insomnia, which often leads to neurosis and depression. Hearing loss is favored by untreated or poorly treated diseases. Diabetes, hypertension, sinusitis and kidney disease are among the greatest threats. Another threat is the abuse of acetylsalicylic acid and antibiotics. Patients receiving chemotherapy are also at risk of deteriorating hearing. In young children, excessive noise can cause visual disturbances, stuttering, and in extreme cases even seizures.

The deaf generation is growing …

Young people are losing their hearing more and more. In many cases, this is at their request. The habit of listening to music aloud, especially with earplug headphones, lowers sound sensitivity and gradually blunts your hearing. During the conversation, we use sounds with an intensity of 30-40 dB, the hustle and bustle of vehicles on the street reach the level of 60 dB or more. In the headphones of modern music playback devices, the intensity of the sound often exceeds 90-100 dB!

Important

Noise shortens life

Being in noise causes weariness, exhaustion, makes it difficult to concentrate, and lowers intellectual performance. Danes claim that noise accelerates the aging of the body, and in people living in industrialized areas it can shorten life by up to 10 years.

Hearing loss symptoms

A person with a hearing loss gets used to worse hearing, even if it makes it difficult for them to communicate with the environment. Usually, the first symptom of severe hearing loss is tinnitus and difficulty understanding speech. A person who loses hearing cannot hear the sounds p, k, f, h, t, s and sz. With mild hearing loss, soft sounds are not heard and it is difficult to understand speech in noisy environments. When the hearing loss is moderate, you cannot hear soft and moderately loud sounds. Understanding speech becomes increasingly difficult, which is often manifested, for example, by asking you to repeat a question. In contrast, a person with severe hearing loss only hears words spoken aloud. She also speaks aloud because she believes that only thenwill be heard. However, he or she may not conduct a conversation in a large group or when there is noise in the background. The same applies to severe hearing loss. With profound hearing loss, you only hear some loud noises and you cannot communicate with your other party without a hearing aid.

Important

Reject sounds

Deafness can be a consequence of shock or a traumatic experience. The person affected hears, but unconsciously rejects the ability to recognize and understand sounds reaching him, creating a barrier between the real world and himself. Then only a psychiatrist will help.

Can hearing be restored?

If the cause of the hearing loss is leakage in the ears, they must be removed by a surgeon. Hearing loss due to mucus build-up can progress to deafness when the mucus hardens or the ear canals become atresia. But even with great negligence, not all is lost. The ear has a residual ability to process sounds, which can be used to support the work of the ear with an appropriate electronic device or with an implanted hearing aid.

The same is done when hearing loss or deafness is caused by noise. A modern hearing aid in the form of an implant is implanted in the middle ear. If the auditory nerve is deformed or damaged on both sides, it is necessary to insert the implant into the brainstem - this is the most serious surgery to restore hearing. Thanks to a miniature electrode, an electrical impulse can be delivered to the nuclei of the auditory nerve (in the brain), which will be picked up by the cerebral cortex as auditory information.

In diseases caused by damage to the inner ear, cochlear implants are also implanted. People who hear only low sounds cannot understand speech. But thanks to modern technology, it is possible to combine the hearing aid with a suitable ear implant. The implants placed in the skull bone are offered to patients (especially children) with birth defects.

The inner ear is usually well developed so that all sounds can be perceived. Sometimes, however, damage or deformation of the outer ear or the ear canals prevent speech understanding. If during the operation it turns out that the repair operation cannot be performed, the only thing left to do is implantation of a titanium implant in the skull bone, which transmits signals from the world in the form of an electrical impulse. The apparatus put on the auricle allows you to fully understand speech.

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