10 facts about hearing

Hearing loss can basically affect anyone. Unfortunately, most people still know very little about it.

To bring this important topic more into the focus of society, the WHO launched World Hearing Day at in 2007. Since then, the day of action has been held once a year, always on March 3, and offers all interested parties the opportunity to obtain comprehensive information on the topic and to seek help.

When a Bavarian and an East Frisian talk to each other, it can happen that one doesn't understand what the other is saying. The obvious reason for this is the different dialects or regional language habits in Germany. Incidentally, deaf people also have the same problem because, as with spoken language, there are also regional differences in German Sign Language (DGS). Certain signs can have different meanings or be performed differently depending on the region.

Contrary to what many people think, tinnitus is not a disease, but a symptom in which those affected perceive noises, so-called phantom noises. The reasons for this can be very different, for example age, excessive noise exposure or illness.

And did you know that tinnitus sufferers don't always hear a "whistling" sound? The noises in the ears range from buzzing, hissing and ringing to clicking or the perception of music.

Many people find earwax disgusting. However, cerumen, as it is technically known, actually has many great properties. When we chew and speak, the earwax is removed from our ears, along with dirt and bacteria. In this way, our ears practically clean themselves. In addition, earwax keeps our ear canal supple and prevents the skin in the ear from drying out.

Hearing loss can have various psychological and health consequences. Among other things, it is assumed that hearing loss also leads to changes in the brain. The reasons for this are thought to be the concentration and effort that those affected have to exert in order not to miss out on information. This constant strain is to the detriment of other brain functions. For example, the risk of developing dementia increases.

Anyone who has ever been to a party knows this: music, laughter and lots of conversations make for an enormous noise level. But we can still concentrate on what the person we are talking to is saying.

Our hearing and our brain are therefore able to concentrate on certain sounds while blocking out background noise. This ability is also known as the "cocktail party effect".

More than 90 percent of children of deaf parents can hear themselves. But as we learn to speak primarily from our parents, these children often learn sign language as their mother tongue and spoken language later.

Conversely, hearing parents who have a deaf child need to learn sign language quickly in order to be able to communicate with and support their child.

Technological progress has brought us many great achievements in recent years. Today, people who suffer from hearing problems also benefit from many technical aids such as hearing aids, special telephones for the hard of hearing and, last but not least, TV hearing amplifiers such as the OSKAR from faller audio. In contrast to normal TV loudspeakers, the OSKAR has a special speech optimization feature that amplifies speech on television and reduces background noise.