Electricity generators, major cause of hearing loss in Nigeria expert
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according to him there are no public health strategies in the country to address risk factors and as a result the number of people with hearing loss will keep increasing1 how generator is causing hearing loss to many nigerians expert1 an expert on hearing loss dr bolajoko olusanya on friday identified generators some prescription drugs and exposure to loud noise as major causes of hearing loss in the country1 olusanya a medical director at a lagos clinic phonics hearing centre made remarks in an interview with the news agency of nigeria nan on friday in lagos1 in nigeria we use generators a lot because of frequent power outages1 the public should be sensitised to recognise that apart from getting power supply from generators staying too long near them can cause hearing loss and once you have hearing loss it is for life1 also people who are exposed to loud noise including pepper grinding machines those in the aviation industry as well as factory workers are at risk of hearing loss1 people should be made aware that if you are working where there is noise do not stay for too long and if you have to stay use ear plugs to protect your hearing1 another risk factor apart from generators is the frequent use of drugs like some antibiotics are susceptible to hearing loss he said1 the expert noted that there were no studies till date to show how prevalent hearing loss was among the populace1 he said however in 2000 the national ear care centre carried out a survey on the incidence of hearing loss that showed about 14 per cent of school children had hearing loss1 olusanya said that no other survey had been carried out since then1 by esenvosa izah1 the world health organization who says that the number of people with hearing loss is on the increase1 the organisation says it has increased from 360 million to 466 million and it is projected by that by 2050 about almost a million people will have hearing loss. so what we need to do as a country is to find out the risk factors of hearing loss in our environment and government should take steps to address them.1 it is a wake-up call that the national ear care centre should be equipped and properly resourced to create adequate awareness on the issue he said1 olusanya said that in 2005 his clinic carried out a research to find out the major cause of hearing loss in children1 according to him the findings showed that jaundice was the major cause of hearing loss in children in the nigerian environment1 other causes he said include infections some premature babies and congenital conditions such as cerebral palsy1 we are working on sensitising mothers that once a baby is born and it is discovered that the babys eyes are turning yellow they should visit the hospital immediately1 the mothers should recognise the risk factors and take necessary steps to get care for their babies olusanya said1 nigeria is said to record more than100 000 cases per year. treatment may help but the condition is not curable1 the condition is usually self-diagnosable but laboratory tests or imaging is often required and chronic cases can last for years or be lifelong1 deafness is usually the result of inner ear or nerve damage. it may be caused by a congenital defect injury disease certain medication exposure to loud noise or age-related wear and tear1 the chief symptom is an inability to hear sound. for some hearing may be possible with surgery or a hearing device. lip-reading skills written or printed text and sign language may help with communication1