March 3 is national Ear Day. A report released by the World Health Organization last year found that more than 1.5 billion people worldwide suffer from varying degrees of hearing impairment. What habits can damage our ears? How to scientifically prevent hearing loss?
Infographic: Children experience a game audiometry program at an event. Photo by Du Yang, a reporter from China News Service
Hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide
Hearing and language are important means for human beings to communicate with each other and understand the world, but the haze of ear diseases and hearing impairments is slowly disturbing people.
According to who's World Hearing Report released in March 2021, one in five people worldwide is currently hearing impaired, and hearing loss affects more than 1.5 billion people worldwide.
The report predicts that by 2050, a quarter of the world's population will have hearing problems, nearly 2.5 billion people will have some degree of hearing loss, and at least 700 million of them will need rehabilitation services.
At the same time, unhealthy diets, lifestyle habits and noise pollution in cities also increase the risk of hearing loss in young people.
Infographic. The picture shows the scene of the free clinic. Photo by Zheng Hui
7 Hurt Ear Habits How many of you hit?
The ear is an indispensable organ for us to hear the sounds of the world. However, usually some of our inadvertent small habits will hurt the ears.
Chen Ping, attending physician of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of Beijing Haidian Hospital, introduced that in daily life, we may have these small habits of hurting the ears:
Telephone porridge or improper use of headphones: Answering calls for long or frequent periods.
Often use hard objects to pluck the ear: Using hard objects such as ear scoops and toothpicks to pluck the ears is easy to damage the skin of the ear canal and even the eardrum.
Noise: Frequent visits to high-decibel places such as KTV, even if you stay in these high-decibel places for a short time, it will cause damage to your hearing.
Excessive fatigue and excessive stress: When people are highly nervous, the blood vessels in the ear constrict leading to ischemia and hypoxia, and may even cause deafness.
Incorrect blowing of the nose: If you pinch the nose on both sides of the hand to blow the nose, too much pressure will cause the secretions of the nasal cavity to flow back, causing otitis media.
Frequent alcoholism: Long-term alcoholism may produce chronic alcoholism, which leads to a decline in the hearing organs, which gradually declines hearing, leading to neuropathic deafness.
Abuse of ototoxic drugs: such as streptomycin, kanamycin, neomycin, gentamicin, etc.
Data map: People lining up in the outpatient building of a hospital to register. China News Service reporter Yin Liqin photographed
What are the manifestations of hearing loss? What should I do to protect my ears?
A report released by the World Health Organization last year said that 60 percent of hearing loss in children is preventable.
According to the doctor, the earlier the hearing injury, the better the treatment effect, and if the best time is lost, it will be difficult to recover the hearing.
If you have the following symptoms, you should seek medical attention in time: get used to increasing the volume; have tinnitus and earache; people always think that your voice is getting higher; always miss some of the conversation; always need to be repeated by others.
Doctors remind you to pay attention to:
Stay away from loud stimuli and noise.
Reduce the bad habit of plucking the ear at will: Ear feces, medically known as cerumen, can fall off on its own, and if there is a large induration of cerumen embolism, it should be removed with a tool by an otolaryngologist.
Avoid ear diseases caused by water accumulation in the ear canal: After bathing, you can use a cotton swab to absorb the water in the ear canal, and it is best to use earplugs to protect the ears when swimming and avoid deep diving.
Use ototoxic drugs with caution.
Source: Xinhua News Agency, China News Network
Guangzhou Daily New Flower City Editor: Long Chengliu