Do I need hearing aids?

2020-07-30 Hearing loss can be hard to detect because it often occurs gradually over time. The average Australian takes seven years to get their hearing tested.1 If you think your hearing or the hearing of a loved one might be diminishing, it is best to get it checked out. Here’s a list of simple questions you can ask yourself to see if you need to get it checked:

 *  Do I listen to the TV with the volume up high?
 *  Do my friends and family think I can’t hear well?
 *  Do I work around loud music or machinery?
 *  Do I ask people to repeat themselves?
 *  Do I struggle hear conversations in crowded places?
 *  Do I often miss phone calls or the door bell ringing?
 *  Do I often hear an annoying sound in my ears?

If you have answered yes to two or more of these questions, then it is time to get your hearing tested.

Don’t worry, you are not alone!

Research shows that 3.6 million Australians, or 14.5 per cent of the population, currently experiences hearing loss. This figure is expected to rise to 7.8 million by 2060.2

Over time, the sounds we hear may become distorted or muffled, and it may be difficult to understand other people when they talk. If you have noise injury you might not even be aware of it, but it can be detected with a hearing test.

Noise injury can also be caused by extremely loud bursts of sound, such as gunshots or explosions, which can rupture the eardrum or damage the bones in the middle ear. This kind of noise injury could result in immediate hearing loss that may be permanent.

If left untreated, hearing loss can leave people feeling disconnected from loved ones, reduce their ability to participate in social situations, or even affect their working life.

The online hearing assessment is a quick and easy 10-minute assessment that tests to see if your hearing is up to scratch.

Simply enter a few details about your hearing experiences and take the online audio test.


If you have any more questions about your hearing health or that of a loved one, you are always welcome at your local Hearing Australia centre, call us on 131 797 or contact us today.

References

Access Economics (2006), Listen Hear: The Economic Impact and Cost of Hearing Loss in Australia, Feb. p25.

Ibid. p20