Don’t ignore the signs of hearing loss – get checked!
We’re always saying it, and that’s because its important. But recognising that you may have a degree of hearing loss is the most important step in protecting your remaining hearing in the future.
Yet because age-related hearing loss can occur slowly over time, the changes can be hard to spot. Which means it may not even occur to you to get your hearing checked.
At Hearing Wales we offer free hearing tests and our audiologists will reassure you about the next steps.
How do you know if you have hearing loss? Ask yourself these questions… and answer them truthfully!
1. Do you have to turn the volume up on the television?
2. Do you hear, but not necessarily understand what others are saying?
3. Do you have trouble following conversations in busy places?
4. Do you often ask people to repeat sentences?
Get the Hearing Loss Facts
If you need any more motivation, the following hearing loss statistics put together by leading hearing technology manufacturer Phonak should reassure you that you’re not alone in your hearing loss!
- An estimated 1.1 billion people around the world are affected by hearing loss – that’s about 16% of the world’s population.
- Approximately 1 in every 1000 infants have hearing loss.
- Approximately 1 in 3 people over 60 have hearing loss.
- According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic ear infections are a leading cause of hearing loss.
- Studies show that around 65% of people with hearing loss experience mild hearing loss, 30% moderate and 5% severe or profound hearing loss.
- About 1/3 of all people with hearing loss are of retirement age.
- The majority of people with hearing loss are of school-going or working age.
- Studies show that only 1 in 5 people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.
- On average, people with hearing loss wait almost 10 years before they do something about it.
