One in six Australians deal with a form of hearing loss. But only a very small percentage will actually counter these issues with a hearing device.
In other words, millions of Australians are putting themselves at preventable risk of social isolation, depression, atrophy of the brain and even an increased risk of falls.
Our partners at We’re All Ears have asked an important question: why don’t more people seek help with their hearing?
The biggest cause could lie in a 2010 study, which revealed that many people still perceive a stigma around hearing aids – despite modern hearing technology making them practically invisible.
Ageism and vanity can play a large part. For some, the very idea of needing such a device marks a big change in how they perceive themselves. It may even be seen as an admission weakness or “getting old”.
This is particularly heartbreaking given that, if left unchecked, hearing loss can make us far “older”, leading to many of the physical and mental health issues we associate with old age – including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Thankfully, this can all change. The stigma of hearing loss lowered considerably when the study participants learned that hearing aids were far more discrete than they thought.
It seems many of us still carry the idea of hearing aids as a bulky and unwieldy devices – and are putting ourselves at risk because of it.
If you have a loved one dealing with hearing loss, please do all you can to help overcome this misconception. There’s far more at stake than simple hearing; it could even save them from some serious long-term health risks.
This post is sponsored by Connect Hearing and written by the Starts at 60 team. For more information, please visit the Connect Hearing website.