Understanding hearing loss, the second most common impairment in the world

Hearing loss may start in people aged above 60

Hearing loss is one of the most severe forms of disability and the second most common impairment in the world. A World Health Organization (WHO) report suggests that around 6.3 million people in India suffer from either complete or partial deafness, and of these at least, 50 lakh are children. Even though deafness is common globally, experts say that there is a need for awareness and to increase the level of attention paid to this issue.

There are two categories of hearing loss in children and adults — conductive and sensory neural hearing loss. Hearing loss may develop due to a