Dubai: Hundreds of teenagers in the UAE are suffering hearing loss due to the habit of listening to music at high volume, an audiologist at the University Hospital Sharjah (UHS) said.
“We have as many as 30 teenagers coming in for a check-up every month at the hospital,” Mohammad Ayas, Senior Audiologist at UHS, said. “Teens should be aware that listening to music at high volume on personal devices would affect their hearing in the later years of their life.”
As impaired hearing affects communication, UHS has opened a new Hearing Aid Clinic, the first of its kind in the UAE, to help the growing number of people with hearing loss to communicate better.
“This is a unique unit that can assess and check your hearing and also offer a solution within the hospital. UHS is the first hospital in the UAE to offer such a facility,” Ayas said. “In other hospitals you have to go and buy a hearing aid elsewhere. Sometimes people may or may not follow through the advice to buy the hearing aid, or delay buying it. At UHS you get a device of your choice immediately. We offer a one-stop solution for hearing problems.”
Ayas said hearing loss is a hidden impairment that should be treated early to allow patients to hear, understand and communicate better.
“Hearing loss is when children and adults have difficulty in understanding speech when there is other noise,” he said. “They cannot understand what you are saying and you have to repeat your words. It is unfortunate that family members often ignore hearing problems of the elderly and consider it as an irreversible aspect of ageing.”
According to Ayas, there are many reasons for hearing loss and an evaluation is necessary to find a solution.
Patients need to see an audiologist first and an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor. “Sometimes hearing loss cannot be corrected with medical management or surgery. At this point a hearing aid is the next best alternative,” Ayas said.
The new state-of-the-art Hearing Aid Clinic provides various brands of hearing aids at affordable rates, based on what the patient needs. UHS also plans to set up a cochlear implant clinic within the next six months. “The implant is for a certain segment of the population that do not benefit from a hearing aid,” Ayas said, insisting that those above 45 years of age should get a routine check-up every six months.
Michael Stroud, CEO of the hospital, said, “UHS has the professional expertise in terms of trained doctors and nurses, in addition to the infrastructure, equipment and lab services required to lead the way in this innovative field of medical practice.”
