Hearing loss is something that faces a great many of us, most of us will be affected by this through the aging process and others will face medical problems that can cause loss of hearing or other hearing related issues. The impact which hearing loss can have can be enormous and it will affect almost all aspects of your life from your family and home life to your time at work. The results of hearing problems can affect your ability to hold a conversation, to drive and even walking can be difficult as a result of the imbalance which hearing problems can cause.
Getting your hearing checked with regularity is a great idea and whilst many of us think that our hearing is fine, there may be underlying issues that we are not yet aware of. For example can you guess the sounds in this quiz? The quiz has been put together by AgeUK to promote hearing loss awareness and you’ll be surprised at how many you get wrong. Let’s have a look at just a few reasons why you should have your hearing checked regularly.
Quality of Life
Such is the breadth of problems that hearing loss can cause it is important that you have regular check-ups to maintain your quality of life and also of those around you. There is little more frustrating that being forced to repeat things when you are speaking to a family member or friend and it is frustrating for both parties, those who can’t be heard and for those who need to keep asking for things to be repeated. There are lots of treatments available for people who are losing their hearing and the sooner you act the better it will be for everybody.
Safety
Whether you operate heavy machinery at work or regularly drive a car, hearing loss can have a dangerous impact when you are in control of a vehicle. In the car you may not be able to hear your own indicator if it stays on, this can present a danger to other road users as can not being able to hear the sound of a horn. If you operate heavy goods machinery then you need to be able to hear instructions from others and also the various alarms and sounds that the vehicle is making, not being able to hear this things can cause a danger to those around you.
Other Health Problems
Loss of hearing can be linked to other health problems such as diabetes and brain tumors and getting a regular check up can help greatly in spotting early signs of these diseases. It has been found that diabetics are twice as likely to suffer hearing loss than non-diabetics and the sooner you get your hearing checked out, the better.
Tests Are Free
Getting a hearing test will cost you nothing and there are lots of GP clinics and high-street shops who will be able to give you a test whenever you want one. If the only thing that a test will cost you is money then there really is nothing stopping you.