Millions of Nigerians may have hearing impairment without knowing it – OOU don

A professor of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology at Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Ayodele Sogebi, has raised concerns over hearing impairment in Nigeria, warning that many people may have the condition without realising it because they can still hear some sounds.

Sogebi said an estimated 11.2 million Nigerians had hearing impairment as of 2021, adding that noise pollution, unsafe ear-care practices and inadequate early screening could worsen the situation.

He spoke while delivering the university’s 131st inaugural lecture on Tuesday.

In the lecture, titled ‘Having Ears, Why Then Do They Not Hear? The Causes and Effects of Hearing Impairment among Nigerians’, the professor examined the causes and consequences of hearing loss, prevention measures and the need for early diagnosis and affordable rehabilitation services.

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Sogebi, who is in the university’s Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, said hearing impairment should not be assessed solely on whether a person could hear sounds, noting that partial hearing loss could go undetected for years.

“We should not just assume that when people hear, they are hearing properly. So many people hear, but more often, they are not hearing well, and they may not even know that they are not hearing well,” he said.

He said the 11.2 million estimate for 2021 included about 6.2 per cent of Nigerians with severe hearing impairment who required hearing rehabilitation.

According to him, while some people with hearing impairment may not need extensive intervention, those with severe cases require rehabilitation to improve their hearing and communication.

The don identified several causes of hearing impairment in children and adults, noting that some cases could be prevented through appropriate medical care, early diagnosis and changes in personal habits.

He said severe febrile illnesses, particularly meningitis in early childhood, could damage the hearing system. Birth asphyxia resulting from prolonged or obstructed labour could also deprive babies of adequate oxygen, causing brain damage that may affect hearing.

The professor further warned that some medications taken during pregnancy could cross the placenta and damage an unborn child’s hearing.

He expressed concern that newborn hearing screening was not routinely conducted in many parts of Nigeria, leading to delays in identifying children born with hearing impairment.

According to him, some children are not diagnosed until after the age of five, potentially reducing opportunities for early intervention.

“Normally, when a child is born, you are supposed to check many things, including whether the child can hear. But in this environment, we hardly do it. Many people do not even know about it,” he said.

Sogebi added that at least 41.2 per cent of the children in the population discussed in his lecture were brought for medical attention after the age of five before their hearing difficulties were discovered.

He called for routine hearing screening for newborns and prompt treatment of illnesses that could cause hearing loss, stressing that early identification was important for children’s development and communication.

The professor also identified environmental noise as a major contributor to hearing impairment, citing noise from poorly maintained vehicles, indiscriminate honking, motor parks and loudspeakers used to attract passengers.

He urged the government to strengthen noise pollution regulations and ensure proper maintenance of vehicles and machinery.

“Noise pollution is a serious problem. Just go to the motor park or the road. Our vehicles are noisy because they are not well maintained, and the way we drive, honking and honking, is as if we are using it as a toy. It destroys hearing,” he said.

He warned that prolonged exposure to loud sounds could damage the sensory hair cells in the inner ear, causing hearing loss that might not become noticeable until significant damage had occurred.

According to him, the damage could accumulate over time, particularly among people who regularly listen to loud music through earpieces and headphones.

“They put on earpieces and listen to loud sounds. It is destroying their hearing. The funny thing is that you may not even know initially because the damage accumulates over the years,” he said.

Sogebi advised users of personal audio devices to lower the volume and avoid prolonged exposure to loud sounds. He also urged workers in noisy environments to use appropriate hearing protection.

He recommended quieter engines, electric vehicles, low-noise generators, acoustic enclosures for noisy machinery and solar inverter systems as measures to reduce noise pollution.

Other measures he proposed included enforcing speed limits, discouraging unnecessary honking, regulating the routes and operating hours of heavy-duty vehicles, and improving the maintenance of vehicles, machinery and equipment.

The professor also warned against inserting cotton buds, sticks and other objects into the ears to remove wax or relieve itching, describing the practice as unnecessary and potentially harmful.

He explained that earwax, produced by glands in the ear canal, serves protective functions, including cleaning the ear and providing antibacterial and antifungal properties.

According to him, the ear is naturally self-cleansing, and attempts to remove wax manually could disrupt the process, push wax deeper into the canal or cause injury.

“The ear is naturally self-cleansing. The habit of personal cleaning of the ear is needless, and it should be discouraged. In fact, inserting an object into the ear for any reason should be forbidden,” he said.

Sogebi acknowledged that wax accumulation could sometimes cause hearing impairment and other symptoms, but advised that it should be managed appropriately rather than through the indiscriminate insertion of objects into the ear.

He cited studies indicating that foreign objects were a notable cause of ear injuries, particularly among children aged between zero and five years.

He urged parents and caregivers to keep small objects away from children and supervise them closely to prevent them from inserting foreign objects into their ears.

He also advised anyone with a foreign object lodged in the ear to seek prompt medical attention from an ear, nose and throat specialist rather than attempting to remove it without appropriate training.

On treatment, Sogebi called for government support to make hearing rehabilitation more affordable, noting that the cost of care and assistive devices could prevent people with severe hearing impairment from accessing needed services.

He urged the government to consider providing or subsidising hearing aids, assistive listening devices and cochlear implants for eligible patients.

He also advocated improved antenatal care, appropriate medication use during pregnancy, better obstetric care to prevent birth injuries, and prompt treatment of neonatal jaundice and other conditions that could affect hearing.

The professor called for public awareness campaigns to educate Nigerians, including healthcare workers, on the causes of hearing impairment, the protective functions of earwax and the risks associated with unsafe ear-care practices.