Making hearing loss a national priority

Nearly 4 million Australians currently suffer with hearing issues and if you’re over 60 the chances of you suffering almost double.

Unfortunately people just accept their hearing loss as an insignificant part of getting older. However, recent findings have suggested that hearing plays a more important part in cognitive health than we first thought.

Most medical professionals understand that hearing loss can lead to brain health issues but for some reason they don’t focus on it as a priority. 

If the latest research is found to be true however, the benefits associated with correcting for hearing loss could be even greater than brain function enhancing drugs available on the market today. Chances are in the not too distant future hearing issues will be the first thing Doctors concentrate on.

Hearing loss is set to become an even bigger issue in Australia due largely to an ageing population. Despite 1 in 6 suffering though, less than 25 percent of sufferers wear hearing aids. This is an alarming figure particularly because we already know that hearing loss is related to isolation, depression and sometimes even unemployment.

Thanks to studies being conducted both in Australia and overseas greater support for hearing aid and cochlear uptake is being seen with a number of organisations lobbying Governments to increase access and funding for hearing aids. One company in Australia called Break the Sound Barrier is running a national campaign to make hearing loss a national health priority.

While medical research and national campaigns help to raise awareness and highlight the benefits of hearing aids on brain function, uptake of the devices is still slow.  The main reason given is that devices are far too expensive and don’t really work very effectively. This couldn’t be further from the truth and is a key reason behind why hearing solutions centre Hearing Choices was set up.

Hearing aids have never been more powerful or more discreet. Thanks to advances in technology and the convenience and interconnectivity of the Internet, Hearing Choices is bringing down the barriers once associated with purchasing hearing aids. 

Its national network of independent Audiologists means the organisation has a specialist conveniently located near you and can even conduct house calls. Hearing Choices’s online first model also means it can save you up to $3,000 off name brand hearing aids. 

Hearing Choices is also working incredibly hard to create a knowledge centre about all things hearing from common conditions to detailed hearing aid product information. This is all designed to reduce the stigmas and hurdles associated with hearing loss so that Australians are better informed and seek help with their hearing sooner.

Medical research and Government support goes a long way to help combat hearing loss. Together with the quest to make hearing aids more affordable and hearing care more accessible than ever, Hearing Choices is combatting brain health issues through greater adoption of hearing devices.

Noam Korbl is a Co-Founder of Hearing Choices.