Hearing loss is a serious disability that affects millions of people around the world, it is the second most common health problem in  India and is  dangerous and harmful to both adults and children.

An individual is said to be suffering from loss of hearing due to many factors such as listening to complications during birth, genetic factors, loud music, ageing and ear infections.

What makes hearing loss dangerous is that it affects us without our knowledge, slowly and steadily over a long period of time, until one day we realise that we are unable to hear anything.

Here are some of the ways we can find out if we are suffering from hearing problems:

1. We hear the phone ringing continuously, even when we have not received any calls.
2. It is difficult to understand what someone is saying, despite the fact that the person is in front of you while having a conversation.
3. While speaking on the phone, you find it difficult to understand what the other person is saying and have to put the phone on speaker to hear better.
4. When we have a conversation, we are unable to hear what the other person is saying and we have to keep asking them to repeat what they have said more than once.
5. While watching television, checking the smartphone or listening to music, we put it on maximum volume, despite the fact that that others find it too loud.
6. We start becoming socially isolated and avoid talking to people because we cannot hear what they are saying.
7. Communication is an essential part of our professional and personal lives, it is difficult to get our point of view across, when we are unaware of the topic of discussion due to hearing problems.

Now that we know some of the causes, we need to take measures to prevent loss of hearing. 

1. Avoid listening to loud music, loud noise is harmful and one of the main reasons for hearing loss. We use earphones and listen to music on maximum volume, which affects the inner ear, especially when listening to music for long periods of time.
2. Be careful when cleaning your ears using cloth or earbuds, it could damage the inner ear, it is best to consult a doctor if you are not sure what to do.
3. Our ears are sensitive and we need to protect them with a helmet especially while participating in sports like swimming where the water maybe unclean or while you are cycling, you may fall off the bicycle and sustain injuries, wearing a helmet can make a difference.
4. Working in an environment where there is a lot of noise can also cause hearing problems, we must avoid this by keeping our distance from the source of the noise.
5. We are unable to hear the sound of vehicles while traveling or walking on the road, this is a sign of danger and we need to see a doctor immediately.
6. We need to protect our ear muscles and see to it that it is not hurt in any way due to excessive noise.

Lastly, hearing disabilities cannot be ignored, one needs to take the necessary precautions to prevent long term deafness.