Africa, News, August 19 2019

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that 8.5 million Nigerians have a disabling hearing loss.

In the same vein, an audiologist, at the King Saud University, Saudi Arabia, Prof. Dele Owolawi, has revealed that most Nigerians are losing their hearing abilities gradually due to noise from power generating set. Owolawi, who disclosed this recently in Lagos, during a media chat, said noise from power generating sets was one of things killing Nigerians, adding that people are dying gradually without being aware of it.

World Health Organization logo

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has disclosed that 8.5 million Nigerians have a disabling hearing loss.

He also stated that the smoke which is carbon monoxide is dangerous to health, the auditory and the vibratory effects, and the vibration also affects the vestibular system. “The WHO has given a conservative estimate that 8.5 million Nigerians have a disabling hearing loss. This includes any hearing loss that is between 40 -70 decibels hearing level downwards,” he added. Speaking on the issue of youths wearing earplugs, listening to loud music while walking along streets, thus causing accidents, the audiologist explained that most of the youths are not aware of the damage caused by wearing earplugs.

According to Owolawi, “Most youths listen to loud music without realising that the volume is high. They feel listening to loud music is a source of enjoying themselves. But with the enjoyment comes something else which is capable of damaging their auditory cells. It is better if the earplugs are not worn. You call somebody on the road he cannot even hear. And a car is coming and honking they don’t even hear.

“So it’s a trend that we need to educate people on. People need enlightenment and this is the only thing that can correct this behavior which is detrimental to them and the society generally. “One of the best things they could do is to put it on their speakers. If you want to listen to music put it on speaker and listen to music.

“But popping out the earphones all the time causes not only fatigue to the ears it causes a mild hearing loss at that point in time. If somebody who is talking to you does not raise his voice higher you might be missing a lot of things. We will continue to talk about it, continue to propagate the gospel of safe hearing.”

Originally published in This Day Live