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Loud & Clear: Hearing Aids Mkt To Grow At 15%

 


Exposure to loud music for long hours in discothe-causes hearing impairment, according to experts. Hearing impairment is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds caused by a wide range of biological and environmental factors.

"Too much exposure to loud noise can lead to a condition known as noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL)," said Sir Ganga Ram Hospital's consultant ENT surgeon Dr AK Lahiri. He was speaking at seminar on "hearing loss in children, detection and rehabilitation" in Ahmedabad organised by Widex India - a manufacturer of digital hearing aids. Hearing in children is as high as one in every one thousand children. "In India, around 10,000 children are born with hearing impairment every year. If people are made aware and the treatment is given at the early age, this can be treated," said TS Anand, managing director of Widex India.

The digital hearing aids market in India is estimated to be around Rs 40 crore and it is expected to grow at a rate of 15% each year. "With a market share of over 60%, Widex is the largest-selling brand in the hi-end digital hearing aids market in India. These hearing aids are priced between Rs 12,000 and Rs 1,20,000," said Anand.

The demand for audiologists who can detect and treat impairment is high in the country. Country requires around 30,000 audiologists every year.

However, the institutes churn out only 600 every year. Widex plans to set up its Institute for Speech and Hearing in Chandigarh to train audiologists. "The institute will offer Bsc and Msc degree course in audiology and around 30 students will be admitted annually. The institute will begin its operations from 2008," said Anand.

(Ref: The Economic Times dated August 9, 2007)

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