Can:Do Hearing News

Hearing Health Starts with Awareness

Did you know that one in six Australians are deaf or hearing impaired or have a chronic ear disorder?

Written by Erin Walsh, Senior Audiologist.

Early identification of a hearing loss is beneficial to live your best life. Identifying a hearing loss as early as possible means that you can access hearing solutions, and improve your communication abilities as soon as possible. Denying, hiding, or ignoring hearing loss or communication difficulties can be harmful. Part of our job here at Can:Do Hearing is to change this conversation by empowering our clients with the confidence to address these challenges and to take the first step to improving their quality of life.

We know that individuals with untreated hearing loss are at a greater risk of depression and isolation. Arguably more concerning, they are at a greater risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

Hearing Awareness Week, which was held during the first week of March, provided an opportunity for the almost 3.5 million Australians who experience some form of hearing loss to share their experiences and to express their needs to the greater community.

The stigma associated with seeking advice regarding a hearing loss and hearing solutions is diminishing. This is partially due to increased awareness of hearing loss and its prevalence. This positive change in public attitude may have been spurred along by the growing number of celebrities with hearing loss who wear their hearing aids proudly such as Osher Günsberg, Halle Berry and Whoopi Goldberg to name a few.

The key mission of Hearing Awareness Week is to improve the inclusion of Australians affected by hearing loss into society. No two people share the same experience and we celebrate the diversity of people’s challenges and perspectives. Increased hearing awareness leads to increased sensitivity to the experiences, needs, and aspirations of people with hearing loss. The mission is to spread the knowledge of what the daily lives of the affected Australians are like to foster their inclusion into areas of society.

Often that first point of call is reaching out for advice, but for those who have already made that step, Hearing Awareness Week also acts as a reminder to regularly manage your hearing health; and remember, we are always here when you need us.