More than 11 million people in the UK have hearing loss – that’s one in six of us.
But around a third of older people who are hard of hearing haven’t done anything about it, according to a University of Manchester study.
Yet aside from the unpleasantness, inconvenience and social limitations of hearing loss, according to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), research shows that hearing loss doubles the risk of developing depression and increases the risk of anxiety and other mental health problems.
“Hearing loss is a major public health issue,” says clinical audiologist and member of the NCHA (Association for Primary Care Audiology Providers), Colin Campbell.
“One in six people have hearing loss, and as our population ages, it will affect a growing number of people – it’s estimated that by 2035, there’ll be more than 15.6 million people with hearing loss in the UK – a fifth of the population.”
He says around 6.7 million people of the 11 million with hearing loss could benefit from hearing aids – which Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi has just said need to be made “cool” to encourage more people to wear them.
Speaking at a Parliamentary event, Qureshi said waiting times for audiology appointments can be as long as 20 months, and she’s backing a campaign led by Specsavers to move audiology to a primary care system, allowing patients to access hearing tests on high streets in a similar way to eye tests.
Sonam Sehemby, an audiologist and head of clinical training at Specsavers, says: “NHS services are incredibly stretched, so there are long waiting lists in terms of NHS audiology services on the high street. It’s solely dependent on a postcode lottery.”
She says there’s no set age when hearing starts to deteriorate, explaining: “It can be from any age, in theory. It’s just more common for it to deteriorate at a slightly later age.
“So we’re looking at 50-plus when typically, patients will start to come in and say they’re struggling because they went to the pub or to a restaurant and couldn’t hear what was being said.”
She says it can take up to 10 years from first noticing a deterioration in hearing for people to have it checked, but points out: “If they came in as soon as they noticed it, as opposed to waiting years, they’d find their quality of life probably improves significantly because they’re able to participate in family events, will feel less isolated and less withdrawn, and can continue with their normal life.”
But what are the telltale signs that your hearing needs testing?
1. Turning the TV volume up
“Typically, turning the volume up on the telly is usually the first sign of people requiring some sort of intervention or support with their hearing,” says Sehemby, who points out people who are hard of hearing will also turn the radio up, or have headphones at a loud volume.
2. Asking people to repeat themselves
People who can’t hear what you’re saying clearly will often ask you to repeat what you’ve said, and Sehemby says: “My dad has hearing loss, and his favourite thing to say is ‘Who?’ repeatedly when my mum and I are talking because he can’t hear us. So it’s those sort of signs from an external perspective, as a family member, that I’d look for.”
3. Struggling with background noise
People with hearing issues may be fine with a one-on-one conversation in a quiet room, but Campbell warns: “In a busy environment like a restaurant, party or business meeting, any background noise begins to drown out the conversation. It can sound as though people are mumbling or not speaking clearly, as though all the words are running into each other.”
4. Withdrawing from conversations
People who are hard of hearing may take themselves out of conversations because that’s easier than trying to hear what’s being said. “Withdrawing from conversations is one of the non-obvious signs of hearing loss,” explains Sehemby.
5. Becoming isolated
Another less obvious sign of hearing loss is when people become isolated and don’t want to participate in family events. “You invite somebody out for dinner in what might be a noisy environment,” says Sehemby, “and you may find they’ll say no, because they’re petrified to go into that environment as they won’t hear what’s being said.”
6. Struggling with conversations in the car
Another problem for people with hearing loss is having conversations in the car. “If you have hearing loss and you’re the driver, you’ll struggle to hear the person next to you and the people that are sat in the back seats because they’re not facing you,” says Sehemby. “It’s another common sign of somebody needing support with their hearing.
“We need to make people more aware of the fact that hearing loss is there and your hearing is just as important as your eyesight. If you start to identify any of these signs and symptoms, my advice would always be to have your hearing checked.”
