In adults there hearing loss or deafness often makes it difficult for them to gain employment and keep it. Children and both adults alike suffer isolation and there has always been a certain stigma involved with deafness and hearing problems.

The greater burden is felt in those people on low incomes because often they cannot afford the medical care they need to prevent loss of hearing or in the case of those already deaf or hard of hearing some can't afford the expense of hearing aids to make there condition more manageable.

Time lost during employment and the cost of supporting those that need help also play an important factor on economic burden in some countries. So how can this burden be reduced?

How to Reduce the Burden

The solution focuses largely on the early detection and rehabilitation of those affected many cases of hearing loss particularly sensorineural loss could be prevented.

* Immunization plays an important role against diseases that can affect the hearing such as measles, meningitis and rubella.

* Testing for infections in pregnant women such as syphilis.

* Antenatal and perinatal care could be improved.

* Avoiding the use of certain drugs such as Ototoxic drugs.

* Diagnosing jaundice in babies and treating it early.

* Reducing exposure to loud noise.

* Early detection of hearing problems in babies and young children.

* Increasing the availability of affordable hearing aids.

Who's activities for prevention and control of hearing impairment and deafness assist countries in reducing the avoidable instances of hearing loss and impairment and hope to eventually be able to eliminate it altogether in the future by using certain preventative measure which include:

* Developing a world wide data base highlighting the problem the world over and demonstrating how cost effective this prevention would be.

* Developing resources for primary health care workers.

* Determining guide lines against the major preventable causes of hearing loss.

* Raising awareness about the cost of hearing impairments.

* Encouraging countries to start national programmes for prevention.