Hearing is an underrated, under treated and misunderstood sense. Whilst we are willing to have regular eye tests and understand the need to go see a dentist regularly, there is still a reluctance to treat our hearing the same.
It takes between 4 – 7 years from someone noticing a challenge with their hearing before seeking a hearing test. But our hearing is intrinsically linked with our overall well being. Lets explore why.
Hearing – an emotional sense
Our eyes connect us to the world around us. Our ears connect us to the people around us. A hearing loss can cause a barrier between us and the people we love and interact with every day. Hearing loss, more so than visual impairment, has a high level of 3rd party disability, where it is the people around us who are impacted just as much as the individual with the hearing impairment.
Impact of Hearing Well
Hearing well has a significant impact on an individual’s overall wellbeing. Hearing well is shown to improve Cognitive, Social, Emotional and Physical health.
Cognitive health
Hearing well reduces the effort and strain it can take to hear. This reduces the overall cognitive load it takes to hear, allowing people to spend more time in the environments they love.
Social Health
Hearing well allows us to actively be involved in more conversations in more places. This allows us to meaningfully connect with those around us and build stronger and deeper relationships.
Emotional Health
Did you know hearing loss can impair someone’s ability to detect emotion? Hearing well helps to reconnect to those around us.
Physical Health
People who hear well are more physically active than those with a hearing impairment.
Hearing well is not just about hearing the television, or hearing people in a crowded restaurant. It is about connection. Connection to the people around us, who make up a part of our daily lives.
3rd party disability
Hearing impairment can cause strains on relationships, whether that’s marriages, family or friends. The impact of a hearing loss is often more deeply felt by those around the patient. Hearing well goes a long way to repairing, restoring and revitalising those relationships. Audiologists are responsible for saving lots of marriages!
Bridging the disconnect
If hearing well has such a positive impact on someone’s overall wellbeing, why does it take so long for us to take action? What can we do to bridge this gap, and reduce this time is takes from someone noticing a problem to seeking action?
This is why at Insight Hearing, we believe in the power of adding Audiology services to your patients. They trust you and they rely on you for medical support and advice with their vision. A simple conversation and recommendation from you and your optical teams about regular hearing health checks can be the motivation someone needs.
Our 15 minute Quick Hearing Tests are an easy recommendation to encourage all patients over 55 to come for a hearing screening. In this appointment our fully qualified Audiologists check their medical background, have a look at the ear and do a hearing screening.
Richard Neale – Head of Audiology