Every year on March 3, World Hearing Day is marked to draw attention to the importance of hearing health. According to experts, although it is a problem that affects millions of people, including children and the elderly, many of the causes of hearing loss can be prevented or managed, IPN reports.
Since last year, every newborn in the Republic of Moldova has undergone hearing screening for early detection of hearing disorders and prevention of deafness. The Ministry of Health, with the support of foreign partners, equipped all maternity hospitals in the country with 40 devices necessary for this checkup. Hearing screening is free and available in every perinatal center in Moldova.
According to specialists of the Center Local Medical Association, in children, hearing loss can be caused by frequent ear infections, genetic factors, injuries, diseases such as meningitis and rubella. In many cases, hearing loss can be prevented by vaccination, timely treatment of infections and screenings carried out in the first months after birth.
In adults, the main causes of hearing loss are aging, prolonged exposure to loud noises, untreated infections, diabetes, and hypertension. Wearing ear protection in noisy environments, adjusting the volume of headphones, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle are essential measures to prevent hearing loss.
Specialists recommend seeing a doctor as soon as the first signs of worsening appear.
Hearing loss can have a major impact on the quality of life, being associated with social isolation, depression and cognitive problems. According to World Health Organization estimates, more than 5% of the global population, about 430 million people, currently suffer from hearing loss. This percentage is expected to increase so that at least one in ten people will have disabling hearing loss by 2025. According to the National Public Health Agency, the incidence of ear diseases in Moldova is 55.1 cases per 10,000 inhabitants.
