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Every year on March 3, the World Health Organization (WHO) promotes World Hearing Day to highlight the importance of hearing health, combat the stigma associated with hearing loss, and raise awareness of good hearing habits. This year’s theme is ‘Hearing care for all’, which looks at the ways we can all take care of our hearing, no matter our age.
Hearing loss can affect everyone.
You may be wondering how anyone can get hearing loss – isn’t it just a problem for older adults? Although hearing loss affects nearly half of all seniors over 75, many adults still have trouble hearing.
It’s reported that 15% of adults have difficulty hearing at work, can’t communicate effectively with their loved ones, and experience other adverse hearing loss effects. While seniors are more vulnerable to age-related hearing loss, adults under 65 are at risk of noise-induced hearing loss, which is a loss of hearing due to exposure to dangerously loud sounds. Working in noisy environments with power tools, heavy machinery, loud music, or constant noise may cause noise-induced hearing loss. It can also occur from long-term exposure to loud outdoor activities like concerts or athletic events if they aren’t wearing ear protection.
It’s not just adults who need to be careful. According to the WHO, 1.1 billion children worldwide have hearing loss due to noise in crowded classrooms and inappropriate listening habits on mobile devices. Many people listen to music at high volume for hours, destroying the fragile cells in their inner ears and causing hearing loss.
Untreated hearing loss can cause real issues.
Although you might feel that your hearing loss is minor and that you can put off getting a hearing test for a few more years, living with untreated hearing loss has significant implications. Relationships suffer when you can’t hear clearly, and people with hearing loss report having lower quality relationships in their lives. Many who have untreated hearing loss have more trouble interacting with their loved ones, have more frequent miscommunications and disagreements, and are more likely to feel lonely and alone.
You can also jeopardize your career if you have hearing loss. If you can’t interact efficiently with your supervisor or colleagues, your job productivity suffers, and you’re more likely to make costly errors. You could be passed over for the promotion you wanted, moved to a job you don’t want, or even fired.
Make an appointment for a hearing test.
Although this sounds like doom and gloom, the good news is that it is never too late to take steps towards better hearing.
This World Hearing Day, schedule a hearing test to help prevent and treat hearing loss’s harmful effects! Hearing loss may sneak up on you, and since it is a gradual process, you might not know you have it until it is pointed out to you or your hearing loss has progressed dramatically. If your loved ones are complaining that you can’t hear as clearly as you used to, or if you’ve noticed any changes in your hearing, schedule a hearing test as soon as possible!
Seniors over the age of 65 should have their hearing checked at least once a year to ensure that their hearing is in good working order. Since age-related hearing loss is common, annual hearing tests will help you keep track of your hearing and ensure that you don’t discover any unwanted surprises.
Adults should have baseline screening tests every few years, and if you can’t recall the last time you had one, make an appointment right away! Baseline testing is vital for tracking your hearing health because it may be affecting your hearing at work or play.
Hearing testing for children and adolescents is also recommended for those with a history of hearing loss to ensure that they are hitting their milestones without being impeded. Take the time to educate your children about healthy listening habits on mobile devices.
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