GN ReSound India alarmed over increased hearing loss in younger age groups due to noise pollution
GN ReSound India concerned over the large number of cases of hearing loss in a younger age group in the country. The company attributes it to uncontrolled noise pollution caused by traffic, heavy machinery, television sets, loud music from speakers and headphones. Currently, 65.5 million are suffering from hearing impairment in India.
Loss of hearing used to be a part of a common aging process. But now it strikes a younger age group who are vulnerable to noise pollution. In addition to this, chronic ear infections are also a major cause of hearing impairment, making it a disability that can affect anyone at any age. India has the expertise to test for hearing disabilities with its experienced audiologists and advanced hearing aids in the market to overcome this disability, Sunil Vinzanekar, managing director of GN ReSound India told Pharmabiz.
Around 95 per cent of cases can be rectified using appropriate hearing aids. But the country is challenged by a huge population having hearing disability with abysmal low awareness compared to the western world. As such, people shy away from rectifying it without realising that the disability directly affects their quality of life, he added.
“This situation now opens up opportunities for the Denmark-based ReSound with its LiNX range of hearing aids. The two-decade old GN ReSound India is present across 135 cities through 250 dispensers, making it amongst the top players in the country, he said.
“Our LiNX hearing aids topped the Mashable’s list of ‘14 Innovations that Changed the World’ in 2014. It was judged the best ‘Rehabilitation and Assistive-Technology’ at the Medical Design Excellence Awards 2015 in New York. We are the first to introduce ‘Made for iPhone’ hearing aid. There is an open fit BTE and Digital Feedback Suppression (DFS) to effectively eliminate howling and sound distortion,” pointed out Vinzanekar.
Indian hearing aid market registers 20 per cent growth. Between 2011 and 2014, ReSound India maintained a CAGR revenue growth of 39 per cent. “We offer hearing aids in budget and premium category. Our two-day service guarantee to dispensers indicate valuable customer support,” he said.
The company stated that its new LiNX2 is a smart hearing technology equipped with Surround Sound, Binaural Directionality II with Spatial Sense feature to create a sound picture of their surroundings. Its SureFit receivers are discreet, comfortable and enhance hearing experience. Its iSolate nanotech coating repels water, dust and corrosive substances increasing durability. Users can directly stream sound from iOS and Android devices, adjust volume and settings from the smart phone app. It partners with audiologists to organise hearing check-ups and awareness camps besides train audiologists to dispense hearings aids to consumers effectively.