SINGAPORE — Playing the guitar has always been a part of Mr Andy Lee’s life, so much so that he is able to distinguish the musical notes in a song just from listening to it.

Watching him play expertly on his guitar during an interview last week, it is hard to imagine that the 71-year-old had once sold off his guitar collection, because he had been diagnosed with total hearing loss.

“Back in my younger days, I used to play folk songs all the time. In fact, my favourite song to play is Take Me Home, Country Roads,” he told TODAY, referring to the song by American singer and guitarist John Denver.

It was also hard to believe that the sociable man had shut himself off from his family for a period because of his hearing loss.

For more than 23 years, Mr Lee worked as an equipment maintenance controller with the Singapore Air Force. His work required him to be constantly near the sounds of roaring jet plane engines since his office was near the runway where aeroplanes regularly took off or landed. 

Over time, Mr Lee’s hearing deteriorated to the point where he could not hear what a caller was saying when answering a phone call. 

Things got worse when he realised that he was unable to hear his colleague talking to him during a work meeting. He realised that he would often have to ask people to repeat themselves several times, which often frustrated both him and the other party.

Mr Lee then began keeping to himself and gradually stopped socialising with his family members and friends. 

His wife, Madam Ong Eng Lian, said: “He didn’t respond to us when we were talking to him, or he would just walk away. After dinner, he hardly socialised with family members, which affected our relationship.”

Mr Lee was recommended his first pair of hearing aids in 2009 and began using them but in 2018, he was diagnosed to have completely lost his hearing in his left ear. 

He eventually underwent cochlear implant surgery in 2019 to regain his hearing.

“I was initially reluctant because the device was big and I didn’t want people to know I had hearing problems," he admitted. "But my wife encouraged me and I have since accepted it. Without her, I wouldn’t have the implant today.”

UNDERGOING COCHLEAR IMPLANT SURGERY

Mr Lee is just one of the many cases of workplace noise-induced deafness in Singapore. 

Data from the Ministry of Manpower published this month showed that there were 624 cases of workplace noise-induced deafness last year, a big jump from the 168 cases reported in 2021. 

The report also pointed to noise-induced deafness as the most common among 1,052 occupational diseases recorded last year.

Dr Vanessa Tan, the director of Singapore General Hospital’s Centre for Hearing and Ear Implants, said that cochlear implants are much more effective than hearing aids. 

This is because unlike hearing aids that work to amplify sound, the cochlear implant device is surgically implanted to directly stimulate the hearing nerve in the inner ear or cochlea.

The cochlear implant consists of two parts, an internal and an external component. The internal component is placed in the patient through surgery. The external component collects, processes and transmits sound to the internal component.

However, a survey done by Cochlear Singapore, a company that makes cochlear implants, found that most Singaporeans who suffer from some hearing loss are unwilling to seek treatment.

In its report published last month, the company said that 78 per cent of respondents are unwilling to seek treatment for their hearing difficulties.

The study, which surveyed 1,000 Singaporeans above the age of 35 who suffer varying degrees of hearing loss, found that the primary reason for not seeking treatment was that many do not find their hearing problems to be consistent or severe enough to require medical attention.

The study also found that respondents are most likely to discuss their hearing difficulties with family members than with a doctor specialising in hearing conditions.

The report concluded that families, friends and even colleagues play a critical role in encouraging their loved ones to treat hearing difficulties early.

Agreeing, Mr Lee credited his wife and his family for encouraging him to undergo the surgery. 

With Madam Ong's support throughout his journey to recovery, Mr Lee was able to hear and recognise voices clearly within two months of the surgery's completion.

To help him in his recovery, his wife would stand outside a room at home and read out instructions such as, "Draw a dog with five legs", and he would have to do as he heard.

Then she would check if what he drew was right.

SIGNS OF HEARING LOSS

Dr Tan said that one should have their hearing checked if they have symptoms such as reduced speech clarity or difficulty hearing words that start with the letters S, F, Th and T.

Other symptoms include feeling fatigued due to a need to strain to hear, hearing a ringing sound in the ear (tinnitus), needing to lip-read, or constantly asking people to repeat themselves.

If left untreated, this can cause strained relationships with family members and social isolation, which is a risk factor in the development of early-onset dementia.

For people working in noisy environments, Dr Tan recommended installing mobile applications on phones or smartwatches to monitor environmental noise levels, which send an alert when sound levels are too high.

"Loud noise is when sound intensity is greater than 85 decibels, that is equivalent to the sound from a food blender," she said.

"If you are exposed to noise above 85 decibels at the workplace, you should wear ear protection and have annual hearing tests."

Even when not in noisy environments, Dr Tan stressed that one should not have the volume of earphones at more than 60 per cent when using these to listen to music or attend online meetings. 

Noise cancellation earphones are also useful because by reducing ambient noise, the volume needed to hear can be lowered, she explained.

For now, there are community programmes such as Project Silverscreen, which is administered by the Health Promotion Board, available to people aged 60 and above to undergo hearing screening tests at S$5 or less 

Dr Tan urged people to see an ear, nose and throat specialist should they experience any of the symptoms mentioned to determine the cause of hearing loss.

Depending on the cause and severity of hearing loss, treatment will vary accordingly.

As for Mr Lee, with his renewed passion for playing the guitar, he intends to raise awareness about cochlear implant surgery and the need to seek early medical attention for hearing difficulties.

“It’s important to get support from friends and family. More awareness is needed about where to get help, so I am very willing to share (information about) my surgery. See a doctor, don’t wait.”