'Once lost, hearing doesn't come back': WHO warns on World Hearing Day

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New York, Mar 3 (Canadian-Media): To address the problem of unidentified hearing loss, the World Health Organization (WHO) is urging people on this year’s World Hearing Day, held on March 3, to check their hearing, media reports said.

Image credit: UNICEF

​Worldwide, some 466 million people have disabling hearing loss, and the WHO estimates that by 2050 that figure will almost double, affecting one in 10 people. The cost of unaddressed hearing loss is believed to be around US$ 750 billion.

In observance of World Hearing Day 2019, WHO has launched a new mobile and web-based app called “hearWHO,” which lets people to check their hearing regularly and can also be used by health workers to screen people in the community, and refer them for diagnostic testing if they fail the screening.

Some of the symptoms indicating the onset of hearing loss are ringing sensation in the ear, known as tinnitus; frequently missing parts of a conversation; or a tendency to increase the volume of television, radio or audio devices.

The app particularly benefits people who are often exposed to high levels of sound, such as loud music or work in noisy places; people who use medicines that are harmful to hearing; and people aged above 60 years.

"Once lost, hearing does not come back. Through World Hearing Day, and with the support of this app, we encourage people to 'Check your hearing!' in order to help preserve this valuable gift that helps us to enjoy life, "stated Dr. Shelly Chadha, Technical Officer of WHO.