5 Myths about Hearing
Hearing can be a bit of a mystery. It’s one of those senses we don’t think about too much until we can’t hear well. There are learning more every year about our ears through ongoing research. So here are a few myths about hearing and their facts that you maybe didn’t know!
1) Myth: If I had a hearing loss I would know
Fact: The Canadian Health Measures Survey in 2015 found that most Canadians with hearing loss were unaware of it. In most cases, hearing loss happens gradually. This means we may not notice any changes until it becomes difficult to understand a conversation, to hear the TV, or we find ourselves saying “pardon” more times than we can count. This may also be why we associate hearing loss with getting ‘older’. We just don’t notice it till then! Including a hearing test in your overall health routine can keep you informed and your ears healthy.
2) Myth: My hearing only affects me
Fact: In one way this is true, hearing loss is a personal thing, but it doesn’t just affect you. Have you ever considered how it might affect your co-workers, friends, and loved ones? How many times do your co-workers have to repeat things for you? Or imagine how it feels to not be heard by someone you love. Everyone around you needs and wants to communicate with you. As humans, we are social creatures and need to be in a community. Hearing loss can add frustration and strain to those valuable relationships. Ask your family and friends if your hearing loss has affected them. If you don’t yet see the value in getting help for yourself, you might see it for them.
3) Myth: Only people with severe hearing loss need hearing aids
Fact: Every level of hearing loss can cause difficulties in your daily life. Even a mild hearing loss can impact your ability to understand conversation, especially in a noisy environment. Because hearing loss is progressive, early intervention is key! Like many other things, the earlier you catch it and add intervention, the better the outcome. The sooner you implement hearing aids, the easier it is for your brain to adapt and retrain itself to distinguish and comprehend sounds.
4) Myth: Hearing loss doesn’t affect the rest of my health
Fact: Current research suggests that our hearing is a lot more important to our overall health than we think. Hearing is connected to several cognitive disorders or diseases; like Dementia and Alzheimers. Untreated hearing loss can also increase the risk of cognitive decline, falls, social isolation, depression, and other health concerns. When we have to strain and focus our attention on hearing, our brains take energy away from other things, like short term memory. Research has found that treating hearing loss with hearing aids can help reverse some effects or even prevent them! Hearing is an important part of our health that we don’t want to take for granted.
5) Myth: Hearing loss is inevitable with age, it isn’t preventable
Fact: There are many different causes of hearing loss! These include genetics, some medications, diabetes, noise exposure, etc. Certain changes in hearing happen with age, but there are things you can do to prevent further damage. Exposure to loud noises is the most preventable cause of hearing loss. Wearing ear protection while using machinery or at concerts, will protect your ears while still allowing you to hear what’s going on around you. If you are in these situations regularly (i.e. work in a factory, go to the Motorsport raceway every weekend, attend several concerts per year, etc.) ask us about our custom noise protection!
For more information check out our blog on noise-induced hearing loss and ear protection here.
Hearing is an incredibly valuable sense that does more for us than most people recognize. We hope that in debunking some of these myths about hearing you’ve learned something new about how important your ears really are.
If you have any questions about your hearing health, give us a call, we’d be happy to provide any information you need.
Recent Comments