AI-enabled advanced hearing aids may help people with hearing loss

Artificial IntelligenceAI enabled hearing devices can revolutionise solutions for people living with hearing impairment said experts here on World Hearing Day on SundayWorld Hearing Day is observed every year on March 3 to raise awareness about hearing impairments as well to fight social stigmasAbout 430 million people worldwide suffer from hearing loss as per estimates from the World Health Organization WHOWhile currently one in four people over 60 are impacted by hearing loss by 2050 it could impact one in ten people including millions of children and young adultsldquoNow the world is becoming more and more dependent on hearing aids The ear plays an important role in amplifying sound and converting sound into neural pulses But those pulses are sent to the brain which is where AIenabled advanced hearing aids helprdquo Dr Aparna Gupta associate director Neurology Indian Spinal Injuries Centre ISIC New Delhi saidDr Virendra Singh Senior Consultant ENT Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute New Delhi said that they take up surgery as one of the options but with some limitations advanced AIbased hearing aids are breaking sound barriers these daysldquoHearing aids stand as a beacon of hope Through coordinated efforts between ENT specialists audiologists the hearing aid industry and governmental support we can ensure that no one is left in silence Advanced devices can bridge the gap between silence and symphonyrdquo added Dr SinghIndia is also confronted with a formidable challenge as hearing loss impacts millions of people spanning various age brackets The WHO reports that roughly 63 million individuals in India grapple with notable auditory deficiencies emphasising the critical requirement for viable remedies and disruptionsAs Indias elderly populace is forecasted to double by 2050 surpassing the number of children who are also these days prone to hearing loss the incidence of hearing impairments is anticipated to escalate accentuating the necessity for preemptive actions to tackle this urgent health concernDr Aparna noted that hearing is also crucial to a personrsquos health and wellbeingldquoWhen you live with hearing loss the brain uses sound dysfunctions and neurons tend to die out if youre not sending the signals Hence it is important to understand whats going on in the brains of hearingimpaired patients Moreover a growing body of research and assessments is revealing the connection between earlystage Alzheimers stroke depression and auditory wellbeingrdquo she explainedDespite millions grappling with hearing loss worldwide the adoption rate for hearing aids remains surprisingly low barely surpassing 10 per cent This is majorly due to high cost devices as well as social stigma said the expertsldquoWhile issues such as access and affordability undoubtedly factor into this equation stigma also plays a significant role in perpetuating this disparity Many people associate hearing aids with outdated stereotypes mistakenly believing they are exclusively for the elderly or those with disabilitiesrdquo said Brandon Sawalich President and CEO of Starkey a global hearing technology companyHe said that however todayrsquos technology has transformed hearing aids enhancing peoplersquos lives and improving their hearingThe introduction of AIenabled hearing aids thus marks a significant stride in tackling hearing impairment These cuttingedge devices provide unmatched sound clarity health monitoring features and a tailored user interface heralding a new era in hearing aid technologyExperts said that AI allows processing of sounds in a way that can enhance speech reduce noise and delineate all different complexities of sound 80 million times an hour without the patient doing anything AI is helping hearing aids perform their core functions of helping people hear betterThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever