Today (March 3rd) is the 27th National Ear Care Day. This year's theme is "Science for Ear Care for All, Protecting Hearing Health Together". What factors can cause hearing loss? Does the back of the ear need to be checked for hearing? What are the methods for protecting hearing among different groups of people? Do we need to check our hearing to understand the "back of the ear" together? There are various causes of hearing loss, including infectious diseases such as meningitis, measles, and mumps, chronic ear infections, ear effusion (otitis media), and excessive noise. So, what situations require a hearing test at the hospital? Pan Xiaodan, deputy chief physician of the Department of Otology at Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, suggests that if the following situations occur, medical examination should be sought. Others need to speak loudly to hear clearly; The sound of watching TV is particularly loud; It is also common among children that parents shout at their children from behind and the children ignore them. Can dietary habits also affect hearing? Experts say that if one eats too greasy, sweet, or high in calories, it can easily make the blood "sticky" and damage the blood vessel walls, leading to high blood pressure, high blood lipids, and high blood sugar over time. Hypertension can cause the small blood vessel walls in the ears to thicken and harden, resulting in poor blood flow; Hyperlipidemia causes lipids in the blood to deposit on the walls of blood vessels, like rusted pipes, slowly blocking blood flow; High blood sugar can damage the endothelial cells of blood vessels, causing them to lose elasticity. Once these microvessels are damaged, the hair cells in the inner ear do not receive sufficient blood supply, and over time they will slowly die, leading to hearing loss. Tinnitus may be a "signal for help" in the body. Many people have experienced a sudden buzzing sound in their ears, thinking it was just a minor issue and enduring it will pass. But did you know that tinnitus is actually a "distress signal" sent by the body. Experts say that tinnitus can be divided into two types: one is physiological tinnitus, usually transient and short-lived; The other type is pathological, usually accompanied by other symptoms. Pan Xiaodan further introduced that hypertension can cause poor vascular elasticity, and the vascular elasticity of the inner ear microcirculation can also be affected, which may lead to tinnitus. Another common symptom among young people is sudden deafness, which is characterized by unilateral tinnitus. If unilateral high-frequency persistent tinnitus occurs, it is recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible. In addition, pulsating tinnitus that beats like the heart is also recommended to seek medical attention as soon as possible, as this condition may be a problem with the cerebral blood vessels. Different methods of protecting hearing in different populations require newborn hearing screening within 48-72 hours after birth and within 42 days. Those who have not passed the newborn hearing screening must undergo corresponding audiological and other medical evaluations within three months to confirm the diagnosis. Individuals diagnosed with permanent hearing loss must receive intervention within six months. Middle aged and young people should avoid recreational noise damage. Li Yongxin, director of the Ear Department at Beijing Tongren Hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University, suggested that the volume of music should be less than 60% of the maximum volume, and the listening time should not exceed 60 minutes. In addition, the intensity of background noise (external noise) should preferably be less than 60 decibels. Older people should also undergo regular hearing tests and wear hearing aids if necessary. Is the fitting process of hearing aids also very important? It needs to effectively adapt to the hearing needs of patients and provide the best hearing assistance effect. (New Society)