World Hearing Day takes place on 3 March to promote ear and hearing care. It’s important to appreciate and preserve your hearing ability and make it an important part of your overall health. Here’s why:
If you think hearing loss just means a person struggles to understand and follow conversations around them, think again. And if you think that talking loudly or increasing the volume of the TV is the solution to their problem, think again!
Your sense of sound plays a far bigger role in your wellbeing than you realise. It keeps you mentally sharp, enables you to network easily and to socialise with friends with minimal effort, and it boosts your awareness of the world around you.
In short, healthy hearing helps you thrive. This is especially true for children: healthy hearing enables them to develop language skills easily and effectively, to make friends, to be receptive to their home environment and to adapt to school. It’s also that much easier for them to meet each developmental milestone.
Silence isn’t golden: Studies show that untreated hearing loss is linked to higher risks of dementia, depression and social isolation. Why? Imagine straining to understand conversations at work, at family gatherings or during a movie. Frustration mounts, leading to withdrawal and loneliness. Brainpower takes a hit too as the effort to decipher sounds depletes one’s cognitive resources.
The symphony of life: Don’t worry: it isn’t all doom and gloom. Addressing hearing loss with hearing aids can be transformative. Imagine conversations flowing effortlessly, laughter ringing clear and the joy of rediscovering your favourite music. Research shows that hearing aids improve cognitive function, reduce depression and boost social engagement. It’s like turning up the volume on life.
When it comes to kids, hearing plays a key role.
If a child has a hearing impairment, it’s important to seek help immediately. If the problem remains undetected, the consequences can be far-reaching and include the following:
- Language delays: Hearing speech clearly is crucial for language development. Muffled sounds make it harder for kids to pick up new words and grasp grammar rules, and this will affect their reading and writing skills too.
- Academic struggles: Missing key information in class can lead to confusion and frustration. Keeping up with classmates becomes a challenge, potentially affecting the child’s grades and self-esteem.
- Social isolation: Being unable to participate easily in conversations and games can leave a child feeling lonely and excluded. This can delay their social development and affect their emotional wellbeing.
