 Hello friends, I am Dr. Shalini Vensel, Consultant and Peace Therapist on Audiologist in Manipal Hospital. So on the occasion of World Hearing Day, I am going to speak about a precious gift which is hearing. Hearing is very important, it keeps us communicated, it keeps us connected. As we grow old, there is a chance of hearing loss increases. That's called press biases which happens due to aging. Why does it happen due to change in the inner ear and due to the change in the auditory nerve? If there is information which goes from auditory nerve to auditory cortex which changes due to our aging and auditory cortex help us to process the information. Hearing loss mostly often gradually. So something which happens gradually as an individual we never get to know that there is a problem and we ignore it. So it's very important to have a regular check up. What is the symptoms of hearing loss? In hearing loss, usually you watch TV at the louder volume. Second thing you will get an experience of the ringing sensation. You always get a distorted sound. You will avoid crowd situation, gathering situation. You will feel you are not able to understand the speech. You again understand have a problem in understanding problem and deciphering the speech of a higher frequency because most of the higher frequency which help us to understand the consonants. Example, if someone is saying school you will heard as a pole. Someone is saying pole you will heard as a comb. The most important thing you will ask for the repetition. What did I say? What? Can you repeat for me? So these are the following symptoms. If hearing losses get untreated, what is the impact you are going to have in a life? So if we have a good shape of auditory cortex we can hear and process better. If it is get untreated, the auditory cortex shape will be changed. It will be deprived. So the information will not process properly and it will start having a deprivation and the problem will start happening more in the auditory nerve as well in the auditory cortex. So it will get worse because of the less input it is getting. Second thing, the hearing loss have a negative impact in the cognition. There will be cognitive impairment which will start happening. That is memory and thinking will start impacting. Studies also link that those who have a hearing loss they also get to have a dementia. So 80% of the population gets the dementia. So we need to have it treated as soon as possible. Third thing, if you are working in workplace you have to put more of effort. If you are putting more of effort then most of the energy you are utilizing in hearing rather than utilizing in other part of the work. Third thing, the people who are around you, family members, your co-workers they have to always communicate loudly. They have to speak loudly. So they will also have a limited communication with you and you will start having an isolation from the society. You will not be safe when you are crossing road. You are not aware of the environment. You are not aware of what is happening towards you. So the neural activity is going to be reduced. So due to reduced input in the inner ear which causes less information leading to auditory cortex and everything is at the end brain which processes the information which is causing a deprivation. So once you are getting any of these symptoms it needs to be tested with the audiologist. Once it is getting tested it has been identified then it has to get treated using a hearing aid or by using amplification device or by using a communication strategies to prevent good work life style, to prevent a good workplace thing and to have a safe hearing. Please consult professionals to get your hearing test regularly. Have a good listening, have a good hearing and safe listening. Goodbye. Thank you.