Speial hearing feature
A case to hear Noise induced hearing loss
Do you suffer noise induced hearing loss? This kind of hearing loss is permanent and can have far reaching impacts on suffers lives and the lives of those they live with as they age. According to Melissa Franks, audiologist
at Pinnacle Hearing at Pymble, health statistics show noise-induced hearing loss is the most significant single cause of hearing loss in Australia where one in six people are classed as being hearing impaired. Of these, 37 per cent can attribute their loss to noise damage. "As people age the hearing loss statistics
become more stark," said Melissa. "Over 50 per cent of Australians aged 60
to 70 have hearing loss which means almost a quarter of seniors are living with noise induced hearing loss." She said men are four times more likely to
have noise-induced hearing loss than women as different occupations are more prone to cause noise damage. "Musicians for example are four times
more likely to have hearing loss. Farmers and building industry workers also exhibit higher rates of noise damage," said Melissa. She said the costs to the Australian
economy are staggering. "Access Economics estimated that hearing loss costs Australia almost $12 billion a year, with almost 160,000 people unable to work as they can’t hear well enough." Common signs of noise-induced hearing
loss are the inability to discern conversations if there is background noise, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), the thought that people are mumbling or a person's need to turn their TV up so high it can annoy family members and even neighbours. Melissa said it is very important to protect
the hearing you have left. “If you are going to be using the lawn
mower or even hammering nails, put on some appropriate ear protection. The old school mentality of “I’m only doing it for five minutes, or it’s never been necessary in the past” are common excuses for not protecting the very thing which enables us to communicate effectively,” she said. “Many of the patients I see will say they
Melissa Franks (left) audiologist at Pinnacle Hearing conducting a hearing consultation
only have a very slight hearing loss and it isn’t a concern. Yet when we run some speech recognition tests to assess their ability to hear the spoken word, the results tell another story. Often someone with moderate hearing loss will only pick up correctly 30 per cent of the spoken word. “When I ask these people if they protect
their hearing when using a lawn mower or power tools, they will say they don’t usually bother because it isn’t very loud. The unfortunate irony is they are no longer able to hear how loud these activities really are,” said Melissa. “The statistics show people living with
hearing loss are twice as likely to suffer from social isolation and depression. When people can’t communicate properly or find it a lot of effort then they tend to withdraw and stay at home, and this isolation can lead to depression.” Furthermore Melissa said hearing loss
is also being associated with early onset dementia. “While the causal relationship is
still not proven, it is thought that hearing difficulty places additional strain on our minds and this form of mental fatigue could contribute to dementia.” The message is to look after your hearing.
If you already suffer from some hearing impairment, it is a good idea to have your hearing checked to determine the degree and possible cause of any loss and be extra careful to avoid further noise damage.
For further details about noise-induced
hearing loss or other types of hearing problems, you can phone Melissa Franks at Pinnacle Hearing on 9440 9091.
Pinnacle Hearing is conveniently located at: 1228 Pacific Highway, Pymble (on
the corner of the Pacific Highway and Beechworth Road directly opposite the junction of Bobbin Head Road and the Pacific Highway).
Also at 89B Cowles Road (The White
House) Spit Junction. Parking available at both locations.
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