Deafness, 39% of Italians have difficulty recognizing the signs of a gradual auditory loss and one in four delays the treatment for fear of social stigma

Hearing loss is a global challenge: the World Health Organization estimates that by 2050 Over 700 million people worldwideor one in ten, they will have an invalidating auditory loss, about one in four person will experience a form of hearing decrease and Over a billion young adults It is at risk of loss of permanent hearing and avoidable due to non -safe listening practices.

In Italy about 12 % of the population suffers from hearing problems but Only a minority promptly accesses visits and aids. The survey made by Research Without Barrier commissioned by Med-El confirms that 39% of respondents struggle to recognize the signals of gradual worsening, often attributing them to age or environment, while 56% indicate the limited culture of hearing health as the first barrier (52% the global average).

The fear of costs weighs on 46% of Italians – more than in the ten countries analyzed (42%). Yet digital prostheses and coclear implants they can be reimbursed in whole or in part Not to mention that new cheaper solutions are coming: the problem is that many do not know it or They do not know how to activate the path between the general practitioner, the ASL and the prosthesis centers which are in fact not among the simplest process. Almost a quarter of the sample (23%) refers for fear of appearing old or fragile: The same share perceives the stigma of auditory devices, while 38 % define deafness as a “normal consequence of aging” that can be managed without professional help.

The consequences of this postponement are far from harmless. The untreated ipoacusia is associated with social isolation, greater risk of depression And cognitive decline while international studies show that The auditory deficit increases the probability of dementia by about 7%. On the contrary, the constant use of hearing aid reduces almost half of the deterioration in the most vulnerable people. Experts recall a regular, simple and painless audiometric control, to intercept the loss when neuro-plasticity facilitates rehabilitation and aids make it to the maximum.

From the point of view registry42% of the over 55 considers inevitable to lose the hearing over time, against 28% of young people 18-24 years old, more inclined (63%) to mention the poor general awareness. With age, on the other hand, the perception of not recognizing the gradual drop (from 38% of the youngest to 43% of the over 55) increases. The gender differences they tell a greater anxiety among women on all fronts: limited awareness (59% vs 54% of men), costs (48% vs 44%), fatalism on aging (41% vs 34%) and conviction of being able to get by without specialists (40% vs 36%). The stigma is almost identical (23% women, 22% men), while men complain of access to specialists by a little more (22% against 21%).

The picture is complicated on the plane geographical. The stigma touches its peak in Molise (33%) and Basilicata (30%), while it drops to 8% in Umbria and 7% in Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The latter region, paradoxically, But leads the ranking of the scarce consciousA: 71% of interviewees believe that the population ignore the importance of hearing. In Friuli-Venezia Giulia 58% report difficult to recognize gradual loss, a figure that collapses at 17% in Molise. Sardinia (31%) and always Molise (33%) show the greatest consciousness on auditory health while the perception that hearing loss is only “part of age” prevails in Basilicata (60%) and Abruzzo (48%) and drops to 24%in the Marche.

Specialists – from Martin Patscheiderprimary Orl in Bressanone, a Romed Krösbacherdirector of Med-El Italia-insist: wait worsen the damage and without years of full social participation. The cochlear system, for example, offers optimal results only if evaluated in time. To reverse the course, campaigns are needed on regular checks, reimbursement and stigma paths, beyond – of this front, that is, of noise pollution, there is too little – a noise protection policies: as we have walking the WHO warns that over a billion young people risk permanent lesions from too noisy headphones and places.

Ultimately, recognize the Many alarm bells – volume of TV or smartphone increasingly high, a breath of conversations in crowded environments, tinnitus, frequent requests to “repeat” – and rely on a specialist can radically change the course of life. Today taking care of your hearing is not only possible: it is an investment in mental well -being, the relationships and autonomy of tomorrow.