Hearing Awareness Week

By Dr Jeffrey Hall, of Bulli Medical Practice

Hearing Awareness Week is the first week of March. Hearing loss is Australia’s second most common disability. Almost four million Australians have some form of hearing loss, and this will grow as our population ages.

The most common causes of hearing loss are age-related and excessive exposure to loud noise. Close to 60% of young Australian workers aged 15-24 are exposed to loud noise in their workplace. It’s important to always protect your hearing by using earplugs or earmuffs and give your ears rest from noise.

Symptoms

First signs of hearing loss include:

Difficulty hearing in noisy places and hearing conversations

Difficulty understanding people, especially if they are wearing a mask or not facing you

Often needing to ask people to repeat themselves

Hearing muffled sounds, as though people are mumbling

Turning the TV up louder than other people

Missing your phone/doorbell ringing

Constant buzzing or ringing in your ears

Increased discomfort with loud noises.

If you experience any of these symptoms, see your doctor. Untreated hearing loss is linked to a range of more severe conditions including depression, anxiety and dementia.

Management

For most people, hearing loss cannot be reversed, but there are treatments that can help improve or correct your hearing. Options for management may include:

* wearing hearing aids

* getting cochlear implants, and/or surgery.

There have been considerable advances in hearing-aid technology in recent years. The earlier people start using hearing aids, the more likely they are to get the most benefit from them.

Check the Australian Government’s hearing services program to see if you are eligible for subsidised hearing services and devices.