The latest statistics issued by the World Health Organization showed that 50% of adolescents and young people in the world between the ages of 12 and 35, who number about 1.1 billion young people, are at risk of hearing loss due to the poor use of electronic devices, and as a result of the Corona pandemic that led to their staying periods Long in homes away from outdoor activities, the risks have increased, at a time when the proportion of young people in the Emirates represents more than 50% of its population according to the latest announced statistics, and about 74% of the population of Dubai are under 40 years of age according to statistics issued last month About Dubai Statistics Center.
The World Health Organization statistics on the number of young people at risk of hearing loss come at a time when the UAE ranks second in the world in the ratio of young people to the total population according to World Bank statistics announced earlier this year, as it came at a time when data from the Ministry of Community Development showed that the number of Those who have a hearing disability who are registered in the Ministry of Determination Card System in the Ministry reached 2262 people until the end of the first quarter of this year, or about 10.8% of the total number of people registered in the system of the ministry, and whose number reached according to the most recent data, which reviewed «Emirates Today» In an electronic copy, to 24,136 registered people of determination.
At a time when it is not possible to obtain information on the details of age groups and the causes of hearing loss for persons registered in the Ministry of Community Development system, global and medical reports indicate the diversity of causes leading to hearing loss, which includes acquired and congenital factors, and it is determined that 60% of Hearing loss in children under the age of 15 is due to preventable causes through vaccinations and treatments that prevent them from developing certain diseases that cause hearing impairment.
The organization attributed the reasons for the risk of adolescents and youth at risk of hearing loss due to their misuse of electronic devices, and continuous listening to the loud sounds of music through their personal phone headsets, which exposes them to a severe source of noise.
Health experts have warned that the risk of hearing impairment as a result of the poor use of electronic devices and mobile phones by young people may increase during their long hours in homes, during the current period in which societies adhere to domestic isolation within the application of precautionary measures to limit the spread of the new Corona virus.
Statistics released by the World Health Organization at the end of the first quarter of this year showed that about 466 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss causing disability, including 34 million children, and it is estimated that by 2050 more than 900 million people will suffer hearing loss.
Causes of hearing loss
The World Health Organization reports attribute the causes of hearing loss to congenital or acquired causes, explaining that the congenital causes that lead to hearing loss from birth or its occurrence shortly after birth are caused by the occurrence of certain complications during pregnancy and childbirth, and may also be caused by genetic genetic factors.
She emphasized that acquired causes can lead to hearing loss at any age, and include infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles and mumps; And chronic otitis media; Fluids collect in the ear and otitis media; Use of certain medications, such as those used to treat infections, malaria, drug-resistant TB and cancers; In addition to getting head or ear injuries, Exposure to loud noises in recreational contexts, such as sounds emanating from the use of personal audio devices for long periods of time, and attending concerts.
A global standard for electronic devices
Over the past year, the World Health Organization and the International Telecommunication Union have established a global standard for the manufacture and use of electronic devices, which include smartphones and audio media players, to make listening to them safer and to improve listening practices for music and loud sounds.
The standard was prepared by experts from the organization and the union as a result of two-year efforts based on the latest data, and in consultation with a group of employers, which included experts from government agencies, industry, consumers and civil society organizations.
11%
Those who are registered in the System of People of Determination in the System of Community Development suffer from a hearing disability.
74%
Dubai residents under the age of 40, according to the latest statistics from the Dubai Statistics Center.
60% of cases of hearing loss in children under 15 years of age are preventable.