NB This post in collaboration with Australian Hearing.
I really hate having to rely on reading glasses so much these days.
And to think I was excited when I got my first pair prescribed nearly ten years ago!
Turns out, our hearing also tends to deteriorate as we age.
However unlike my experience of suddenly noticing that either:
- a) the print in books and magazines had shrunk dramatically;
- b) or my arms had gotten shorter;
We may not even realise we are suffering from hearing loss, as it tends to be much more gradual. Australian Hearing is looking to change that!
People also don’t tend to realise that the impact is not so much that we can no longer hear, but rather that age-related hearing loss tends to make it much more difficult to understand what others are saying.
By the time we reach 60, around 60% of Australians report hearing loss!
Even though I’m only just past 50, I know that this is something which has already affected me, albeit for a slightly different reason (you can read about it in my post, Selective Hearing or Hearing Loss?).
The Impacts of Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can really impact your life as I’ve already found.
Over the past few years I’ve felt like a bit of an idiot many a time, as I’ve just smiled and nodded along to conversation I couldn’t actually understand. I also found myself saying “What?” a lot, and trying to remember that “pardon” or “beg your pardon” is the more polite way to ask!
It also caused some strain in our marriage, because the hubster thought it meant I wasn’t interested in listening to him. In actual fact, nothing was further from the truth as I struggled to make meaning of the words he spoke.
On top of all that, hearing loss (particularly if left untreated), has been associated with depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, falls, and even dementia.
What to Keep an Ear Out for
The good news is, just by reading this post (thank you!) you have taken a big step towards looking after your hearing. Many Australians don’t realise, for example, that:
- Loud noise doesn’t have to be painful to cause permanent damage (so wear ear plugs if you are hanging out at construction sites, using heavy machinery, or going to a rock concert).
- They should keep an ear out for any annoying buzzing or ringing in their ears, as Tinnitus could be an early warning sign of hearing loss.
- Regular hearing checks should be an important part of their health and fitness routine particularly from midlife. Fortunately Australian Hearing provides free hearing checks to adults at more than 500 locations across Australia.
So tell me … when was the last time you had a hearing check? Head to stayhearingfit.com.au to find out more info!