Less screen time, gaming volume key to protect kids' hearing: Health Ministry

Limiting exposure to screens and reducing gaming volume is essential to prevent hearing loss in children said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on World Hearing Day on MondayWorld Hearing Day is observed every year on March 3 to raise awareness about preventing deafness and hearing loss and to advocate for ear and hearing care worldwide The theme this year is Changing mindsets Empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for allrdquoThe Ministry noted that kids are the most vulnerable for hearing loss due to increased exposure to screen time and loud sounds from online gamesldquoWorldHearingDay2025 Children are more vulnerable to hearing damage caused by loud sounds gaming and excessive screen timerdquo the Ministry said in a post on social media platform XWorldHearingDay2025 Children are more vulnerable to hearing damage caused by loud sounds gaming and excessive screen timeTake these simple steps to protect to them from hearing loss pictwittercom6UWj2mGRIBmdash Ministry of Health MoHFW_INDIA March 3 2025While advising parents to limit childrenrsquos exposure to these the ministry also listed some measures such as regular hearing checkups and safe listening habitsldquoParents to take note Children are more vulnerable to hearing damage from gaming and loud sounds Limit kids screen time and gaming volumerdquo the ministry said in an infographic ldquoTake these simple steps to protect them from hearing loss encourage safe listening habits and ensure regular hearing checkupsrdquo it addedAccording to the World Health Organization a person is said to have hearing loss if they are not able to hear as well as someone with normal hearingAlthough anyone can be at risk of hearing loss it can be higher among elderly above 60 years old those who regularly listen to loud music using headphones work in noisy environments frequently attend concerts or sports events take medicines that can damage the ear and have an ear infectionMeanwhile Saima Wazed Regional Director for WHO SouthEast Asia noted that hearing loss is an escalating public health challenge and that 660 million people in SouthEast Asia Region may be affected with the condition if proper measures to tackle the problem are not takenldquoOver 15 billion people are affected globally with nearly 80 per cent living in low and middleincome countriesrdquo said Wazed said ldquoAn estimated 400 million people experience hearing problems in our SouthEast Asia Region alone a number that could rise to 660 million by 2050 if current trends continuerdquo she addedThe Regional Director said that hearing problems are preventable with effective and costefficient interventions like hearing screenings and hearing aid servicesShe also lauded India for conducting ldquofieldtesting of training on assistive products hearing modulesrdquo However ldquoover 80 per cent of ear and hearing care needs worldwide remain unmet Bridging this gap must be a priorityrdquo she saidWhile calling on governments to prioritise ear and hearing care as well as challenge stigma Wazed noted that if the problem of hearing loss remains unaddressed it may affect ldquolanguage development education employment and mental healthrdquoAlso ReadWearing earphones for prolonged periods may damage your hearing heres howThis 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