Hearing Loss Hits Younger Adults as Doctors Urge 60-60 Rule

Beijing (GNP): The 69th International Day of Deaf People is drawing attention to the communication needs of millions of people worldwide, and to a warning from doctors that hearing loss is increasingly reaching younger adults. The World Health Organization (WHO) says more than 430 million people need rehabilitation for disabling hearing loss, a number expected to pass 700 million by 2050.

China’s own figures show the scale of the challenge. About 85 million people in the country live with disabilities, and an estimated 27.8 million of them have hearing impairments. For many, sign language is the main way to communicate, and like spoken languages it has its own vocabulary, grammar and regional variations.

Those variations are easy to see in practice. More than 140 standardised sign languages exist around the world, yet even within China the same word can look different from one region to another. The sign for “money” may mimic counting banknotes in one place and form a small circle with thumb and index finger in another. In Beijing, the sign for “father” extends the thumb and index finger, echoing the Chinese gesture for eight, because the two words sound alike in Mandarin.

Differences like these are a natural part of language, but they can also block understanding. To reduce the gaps, China introduced the Lexicon of Common Expressions in Chinese National Sign Language and the Chinese Common Braille Scheme on July 1, 2018. The country’s Ministry of Education called the move an important step towards standardising sign language and Braille for people with hearing and visual impairments.

Standards help, but communication also depends on spotting hearing loss early. The condition changes more than a person’s ability to hear. Some people ignore a decline at first, then find conversations hard to follow and gradually withdraw from social life. Li Yongxin, director of the Department of Otology at Beijing Tongren Hospital, affiliated with Capital Medical University, said hearing intervention is about more than buying a hearing aid.

It should begin with a full ear and hearing evaluation to find the cause and extent of the loss, followed by the right device, whether a hearing aid, a cochlear implant or a remote microphone, properly fitted during a trial period. Because hearing can change, Li advises follow-up checks six months to a year after that trial.

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Timing matters even more for younger patients, who are now seen more often with sudden hearing loss. Among people aged 20 to 35, poor sleep, high-pressure work and long hours with headphones have become common. Li said prolonged concentration and stress can affect circulation in the inner ear and, in some cases, cause sudden hearing loss. The best window for treatment is within 72 hours of the first symptoms, and waiting can sharply reduce the chance of recovery.

Daily habits offer the strongest protection. Damage often comes from repeatedly exceeding safe listening time and volume, not from one loud event, and the sensory hair cells in the inner ear cannot regrow. Li recommends the 60-60 rule, which means keeping the volume below 60 per cent and listening for no more than 60 minutes at a time, and avoiding headphones when surrounding noise passes 60 decibels. He also warns against frequent ear cleaning with cotton swabs and says prolonged headphone use can inflame the outer ear canal.

Li said hearing connects people not only to sound but also to communication, work and social life.