Roughly 80% of children will have at least one ear infection before the age of three. Almost all of them will fall victim to at least one before they turn six. And they are the most common reason why parents bring their children to the doctor’s office. Although anyone can develop an ear infection, children, and particularly those under seven years of age, are particularly susceptible. Left untreated, the long term consequences can be surprising, and severe.
Have you ever wondered why some people don’t seem to be listening, or why others require the television to be just a little bit louder? Have you ever noticed a friend or family member who seems uncomfortable in noisy social settings, or a child who has trouble concentrating? The reason for these actions may surprise you.
I think it is safe to say that most of us are familiar with the risks children face when their hearing loss goes undetected. It is well documented that they may fall behind in school, have cognitive or speech delays, feel isolated, and even suffer emotionally. These are all very serious issues, and it saddens me to think about even one child who does not have access to regular hearing healthcare. But lately, I’ve been thinking – and reading – about risk-of-elderly-hearing-loss.
I was chatting with our founder, Dr. Matt Bromwich, over lunch yesterday. He told me about an interesting case that he had seen in the E.R. that week, and I thought it was important to share. I had never heard of Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSNHL) before. My guess is that I’m not the only one.
According to the World Health Organization, 360 million people worldwide – a full 5% of the population – suffer from disabling hearing loss. The majority of these people live in low and middle-income countries where access to hearing testing is limited or non-existent.