“We call hearing loss a 'silent pandemic', even in scientific communities, because little is said about it.” But “the numbers are truly impressive and the consequences in every age group truly terrible. In particular, forms of hearing loss are on the increase, accounting for one and a half billion in the world. This is indeed a very important topic. It is essential to take care of it, do a lot of prevention, which naturally varies depending on the age group” and “break down the stigma that surrounds it”. This was said by Domenico Cuda, director of Otorhinolaryngology of the Piacenza Ausl, speaking on the occasion of the concert 'Sound Sensation – Music without barriers', with musicians suffering from deafness, held at the Rai Arturo Toscanini Auditorium in Turin, promoted by Med-El in partnership with the Rai on the occasion of World Hearing Day, which is celebrated on 3 March.
On prevention, “for adults – explains Cuda – we need to pay great attention to harmful noise, which is one of the main causes of hearing deterioration. Then be careful with many drugs: you must always ask, when a medical prescription is made, if the drug used is harmful to your hearing, also because there are very often alternatives. But above all, at the first signs of hearing difficulty, or even the appearance of symptoms such as tinnitus, it is essential to be examined, consult a doctor, go to a specialist”.
Returning to the importance of events such as 'Sound Sensation' to break down the “stigma” of this condition, Professor Cuda states: “I have personally treated many very prominent people who wear hearing aids, cochlear implants without any hesitation. It is much more dramatic instead the opposite is the case when, in order not to run the risk of stigmatisation, one isolates oneself and faces all those sequelae of isolation, depression, and even cognitive decline in old age. Let's go out, let's be heard – concludes the expert – no fear to wear a hearing aid or disclose their hearing difficulty”.
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