How many Indians suffer from auditory impairments as compared to the rest of the world. Can you give us some statistics on the current situation and the reasons behind this?
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Dr Ingeborg Hochmair
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Less than 10 per cent of people who have severe hearing loss receive a hearing implant across the world. In India, we estimate that figure is significantly lower, maybe even less than one per cent. This is due to a number of reasons. Historically, there has been a lack of funding, but the Government is now aware and sees this as an important issue. This should result in more Indians receiving cochlear implants. The health screening procedures of children is not at the level it should be and a high number of home births mean many children with hearing problems go undetected. On top of this, the population growth in India, with around 50,000 births every day, means that even if a small proportion of these are born profoundly deaf it is still a huge number of children (and then adults) have hearing problems.
Do you think that excessive speaking over mobile phones or constant listening to MP3 players (I-pods) or any kind of extensive exposure to noise can induce hearing loss? How many young people in India are at risk? How can this situation be tackled or managed?
It certainly is a growing problem, and not just with electronic devices. Huge number of Indian people are exposed to dangerous noise levels everyday. We seek to raise awareness of the importance of hearing and it must be supported broadly by governments and other authorities across the world.
How can people living with hearing disabilities lead a better life?
Awareness is a key part to help this, clarification about hearing loss reduces anxieties and prejudices. Hearing loss isn’t a fate that you have to resign yourself to. Being unable to hear separates you from people and for children it restricts their opportunities in life. We have solutions that can make someone suffering from hearing loss or even complete deafness to hear again – the change this brings to one’s life is truly remarkable.
Which are the technologies introduced by you in India that can be utilised by people suffering from auditory impairments?
We have been in India for around 20 years and continue to introduce the latest products to provide more solutions for a wide range of auditory impairments. In November (2013) in India we introduced Bonebridge, world’s first active bone conduction implant. It transmits sound directly to the inner ear by bone conduction and is designed for people where sound cannot be transferred to the inner ear via the outer and the middle ear. It also works for some types of single-sided hearing loss. We also have Rondo, the world’s first single unit processor that is placed discretely behind the ear. Other options include Electric Acoustic Stimulation (EAS) for partial deafness, and Soundbridge for middle ear hearing loss. There really are a wide range of products available for providing a number of solutions.
How do cochlear implants function? Are these cost effective?
The cochlear implant is the first and only replacement of a human sense, the sense of hearing. MED-EL offers the widest range of implantable solutions to treat the various causes and degrees of hearing loss.
Put simply, cochlear implants are solutions for people with severe to profound hearing loss where hearing aids provide little or no benefit. An implant is surgically placed under the skin behind the ear. Externally, there is a microphone, a speech processor and a transmitter. Internally, electrodes travel through the cochlear and sending impulses to the brain.
Cochlear implants do require a financial investment but the benefits both socially and economically are repaid very quickly. An implant as early as possible is crucially important, especially for children,- children learn to speak and understand a language only if they hear properly. Obviously this then has a strong link to their education and future career.