Nearly one in two children who see an otolaryngologist is diagnosed with hearing loss, survey finds

This is an “alarming snapshot of the hearing health of children under the age of 10,” for the National Hearing Day Association (JNA). This association dedicated to prevention in the field of hearing publishes a survey this Thursday, revealed for the first time by the parisianabout the condition of children’s ears.

The barometer was “carried out on a representative panel of parents with at least one child under the age of 10,” according to the JNA. The results of this Ifop survey, which BFMTV.com has been able to consult, show that “55% of parents have already taken their child under the age of 10 to the otolaryngologist.”

Of these children, 44% were diagnosed with hearing loss, according to statements by their parents, “of which 32% were mild, 10% moderate, which did not require hearing aids, and 2% severe, which required hearing aids,” he points out. the JNA. Press release. The association considers that these figures are probably below reality since they only take into account children who have been diagnosed and by an otolaryngologist.

The first reasons for consulting an otolaryngologist are, according to this same Ifop survey, otitis (44% of parents say they have consulted an otolaryngologist for their child for this reason), earaches (31%) and earplugs. earwax (23%). ).

Infections and noise exposure

The JNA association affirms that the environment close to children “presents a series of auditory attacks: car, street, speech, music, electrical appliances, tools, but also the nursery, the school, the summer camp, the nursery”, which can damage the hearing aid.

She cautions against children’s use of hearing aids and headphones, which “put strong acoustic pressure on the eardrums and ossicles, endangering auditory functions, while continually tiring the ear.”

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60% of hearing loss cases in children are due to causes that can be prevented with public health measures, such as ear infections.

Globally, the WHO estimates that 5% of the population (432 million adults and 34 million children) “requires rehabilitation services due to disabling hearing loss.”