Hearing is a unique and most treasured sense because it allows us to relate to the world for various essential purposes, the most crucial of which will enable us to communicate with others. Our ability to interact with one another is highly reliant on our ability to comprehend speech, which is one of the most mystifying sounds to understand. An individual who cannot hear than someone with normal hearing has hearing loss. India has a considerable number of deaf people. Over 65 million people suffer from hearing loss, which affects 6% of the population (Healthy Ear District in India: Sound Hearing 2030, n.d.).
A few factors that affect hearing health include the present lifestyle, trauma, illness, genetic disorders, age, leisure time activities, exposure to noise, and hearing loss induced by ototoxic drugs. Leaving unattended can lead to hearing loss (Alsudays et al., 2020). Also, the lack of execution of hearing health programs and absence of awareness makes individuals more vulnerable to hearing loss (Fausti et al., 2005).
A persistent ear infection is one of the most prevalent reasons for hearing loss, and it is possible to prevent and treat with medication and surgical procedures. Hearing loss that goes untreated can have various consequences in the workplace and social situations. Therefore, many people with hearing loss are unjustly denied promotions or forced to work at a level below their abilities, expertise, and experience.
The Global Burden of Disease study showed an increased hearing loss burden, which is now alarmingly high (Wilson et al., 2017). They reported that hearing loss is the fourth leading cause of years spent disabled worldwide. Hearing health is about adopting safe listening habits and avoiding excessive loudness and other loud noises during leisure time; hence, proper hearing health is required for an individual to communicate and stay associated with the surroundings.
According to WHO statistics, about 1 billion young people worldwide may be at risk of hearing loss because of harmful listening habits involving personal devices such as earbuds, headphones, speakers, and other similar devices. The rise in usage of devices has highlighted the need to address improper earphone use among youth and encourage effective hearing protection measures. (Mohammadpoorasl et al., 2018 ;di Berardino et al., 2013).
Another common unsafe practice seen among the population is self-ear cleaning, which is the insertion of items like matchsticks, hairpins, application of hot or cold oil, herbal remedies, and liquids such as kerosene into the ear canal to clean it based on the assumption that removing excess cerumen is required for ear hygiene. Using such items to remove wax, blood, or any foreign body in the ear canal can lead to a perforated eardrum, ear discharge, and infection in the ear.
Most educated and illiterate people engage in unhygienic practices and are thus ignorant that poor aural hygiene can lead to several problems. Hearing and balance may be compromised by engaging in harmful or unclean personal practices (Khan et al.,2017). So, it is important to educate individuals about good auditory hygiene. S & Poduval, in 2015, did a study in India to assess public understanding of proper aural hygiene procedures and concluded that misconceptions about the same are not only related to the socio-economic profile of the community but also widespread ignorance. These behaviours can cause hearing loss and alienation and separate people from their activities and society. As a result, knowing about such measures might help individuals become more conscious of their hearing status, recognize early warning signals, and learn about aural hygiene practices. Corrective action can be taken when a risk is identified with this information and can also be used to educate others about hearing health care.
Certain medications like gentamicin, streptomycin, erythromycin, ibuprofen, and anti-cancer drugs can damage the nerves and the cells involved in hearing. Hence, if any of these medications are prescribed, then routine monitoring is essential; thus, no drugs should be taken without the doctor's advice.
Routine hearing tests for persons of all ages are essential to detect any medical condition, identify potential problems, prevent potential impairment, and begin early intervention (Ferguson et al., 2016). Mainly audiologists and otolaryngologists provide specialized audiological services, such as hearing evaluations, hearing aid selection and fitting, and auditory rehabilitation. Several studies on hearing awareness have been undertaken, and it has been discovered that people with awareness of the risks of ear infections, continuous noise exposure and aural hygiene have less understanding of the audiology profession (Joubert et al., 2017).
Hearing loss can strike at any age. Moreover, a hearing loss in one's early stage can affect their developmental and educational achievements, which can further harm their social and emotional quality of life. Any amount of loss of hearing at any age should not be ignored. Early identification in newborns is crucial, as there could be a chance of undetected conditions due to complications during pregnancy. As a result, diagnosing and treating hearing impairments as soon as possible is critical since they can harm a child's speech and language development, social skills, and educational outcomes.
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent; hence, early detection and treatment, such as amplification devices on the recommendation of a trained medical professional, are essential. As a result, the progression of hearing loss can be delayed, resulting in a higher quality of life (Galhotra & Sahu, 2019). A simple awareness program would help diminish these problems, reducing morbidity and needing specialist care (S & Poduval, 2015; Alshehri et al., 2019).
Karnataka is the sixth largest state in south India, with diverse communities across districts. According to a survey conducted by the National Program for Prevention and Control of Deafness (2017), 5.3% of the state's population suffers from hearing problems due to a lack of awareness and early detection.
Hence this study aims to assess public awareness of hearing health and hearing loss to initiate early prevention and intervention of hearing loss in Karnataka, which lies in the southern part of India.