Doctor calls for good ear care

Dr. Yaw Nyadu Offei, an Audiologist at the University of Education, Winneba, has appealed to Ghanaians as a matter of urgency to see an Audiologist when they hear strange sounds in their ear.

Dr. Offei made the call at a day’s seminar on hearing organized by Hear Needs Ghana in collaboration with Centre for Hearing and Speech Services of UEW at Winneba.

The seminar dubbed “How loud is too loud” was aimed to educate and promote awareness of the public on the damages and effect caused by continues exposure of loud sound to the hearing of people.

According to him a World Health Organization (WHO) report showed that about 500 million people worldwide had significant hearing losses as a result of excessive noise levels from some industrial equipment and loud music which could lead to permanent and sometimes debilitating hearing loss and tinnitus.

Dr. Offei said the number was likely to increase to 700 million by the close of 2017 if people failed to adhere to advice on potential hazards of noise.

He urged people who continually use ear phones for prolonged periods to stop since by so doing they are rather destroying their hear cells that automatically could lead to the total damage of the ear.

He said there are only about 10 audiologists in the country and emphasized the need for all and sundry to observe proper ear care and to go for ear check-ups anytime they have a problem with their ear.