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March is right around the corner and along with Spring being right around the corner, for us it means World Hearing Day is just about here! Every March 3rd, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrates World Hearing Day—a national campaign to raise awareness, challenge stigmas, and promote treatment of hearing loss. The theme for 2023 is “ Ear and Hearing Care for All” which seeks to promote understanding around the challenges of hearing impairments world wide and help people across the globe achieve better access to hearing health care.
Challenging the Stigma
WHO projects that the toll of world hearing loss totals roughly 466 million people worldwide and if attitudes around hearing loss don’t change, this number is projected to rise to 900 million by 2050! What needs to change? Well for one the stigma of hearing loss, keeps people from admitting and addressing the issue. Many people put off hearing loss because they fear the most common treatment—hearing aids will make them seem old or disabled. In truth hearing aids provide a lifesaving service for millions willing to invest the time to learn to hear again. With properly programmed hearing aids, people of all ages can start to truly access their lives again.
The Dangers of Putting Off Addressing Hearing Loss
Hearing loss often comes on slowly and becomes worse incrementally over many years. However, because of the gradual loss many people don’t know they have it and despite not diagnosing it, they are not clear of the devastating effects. Untreated hearing loss starts as issues with hearing and quickly escalates into rifts in personal and professional relationships. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, chronic depression, and social isolation are common as a result. In addition, issues with hearing affect cognitive performance, and increase the risk of dementia as well as a greater risk of falls and accidents which can lead to hospitalization. The sooner you can diagnose and treat a hearing loss, the more likely you are able to prevent some of these devastating effects which challenge your quality of life.
Addressing World Hearing Loss For Policy Makers
Understanding about the importance of treatment has to happen on an individual level, but governments across the world can help, through education and policy changes around access to treatment. For instance, insurance companies in the United States have labeled hearing aids as an elective treatment, to avoid coverage, despite the emotional, cognitive and physical risks of avoiding treatment. This leaves millions with less resources in the US having to choose between eating, staying housed or better hearing. While changes are coming to make hearing aids more accessible to all, we still have a long way to go. Ideally things have to change in several ways which include:
- Hearing Screening: Hearing loss affect people of all ages. Accessible hearing loss screenings can help you spot the signs of hearing loss early.
- Hearing Test: Hearing exams help to diagnose the severity of hearing loss and help you choose the best hearing aids for your particular degree of loss in combination with your lifestyle choices.
- Hearing Protection and Prevention: Part of better hearing means knowing the sources of hearing damage you are exposed to daily and creating safer listening habits. This can include earplugs when exposed to loud noise and lifestyle changes such as a heart healthy diet and regular exercise to support the cell health of the inner ear.
- Treating Hearing Loss: If a hearing loss is detected, it is important that you treat it right away. All too often people put off hearing treatment because of the stigma or the cost. In truth most people can’t afford to put off hearing treatment as the medical costs associated are higher than the initial cost of hearing aids.
Schedule a Hearing Exam
While most forms of hearing loss are irreversible, addressing hearing loss using hearing aids can help make all the difference. This March, join the fight against world hearing loss by scheduling a hearing exam and taking the steps to obtain treatment. Hearing aids are rapidly leading the way in micro technology. You will likely be surprised at how far they’ve come to enhance sound and improve your ability to communicate, stay active and improve your entire quality of life. Start by contacting us today to schedule your next hearing exam.