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Promotional Content • Saturday 3 July 2021


Turning up the volume on the importance of hearing health


Angela Pelosi, director of global audiology, Phonak


F


or most people, hearing loss is viewed as a benign part of the natural ageing process. Like a


few extra grey hairs or a ‘laugh line’ or two that appear out of nowhere over- night, we’re conditioned to accept it and live with it. However, unlike those more visible manifestations, hearing loss can be at once less noticeable to the outside world and signifi cantly more detrimental to overall wellbeing. T ere’s no denying that hearing loss


correlates with ageing; it’s the resig- nation to ‘living with it’ that needs to be challenged. Recent research has shed new light on how hearing health is inextricably linked to social-emo- tional, cognitive and physical well- being. T is gives us all an incentive to not only learn more about it, but do more about it from a prevention, detection and treatment standpoint.


It begins with prevention T e fi rst step toward healthy hearing lies in prevention. T e best thing we can do for our future selves at any age is to take measures to protect the hearing we have today in order to prevent loss. T is really starts with understanding how noise expo- sure — both at too high of a decibel level and in duration of exposure — can put us at risk for hearing loss. According to the EU, occupational


deafness (hearing loss resulting from noise exposure at work) is the most commonly reported occupational disease. A survey in the UK, under- taken by the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work (EU-OSHA), found that 20% of workers in Europe are exposed to loud noise — about 40 million workers. It’s no wonder we’re seeing these


outsized numbers of people aff ected by noise-induced hearing loss. A walk down any street or school hallway will reveal large numbers of people donning headphones. Putting head- sets on — or even in — ears and listening to music, podcasts or video games at higher-than-recommended levels puts you at risk of damaging your hearing.1 Beyond exposure from personal


devices or live music or sporting events, many people work in noisy environments — think factories or other industrial settings, construc- tion, airplane or lawn maintenance. Prolonged exposure to noise that’s too loud can put you at signifi cant risk of hearing loss (see noise exposure guide, right). Sometimes noise-induced hearing


loss can prove to be permanent. Fortunately, there are simple steps we can take to mitigate the impact of loud noises. For example, pre-set


a decibel level on phones so that the volume can’t exceed the recom- mended 80dB level and wear hearing protection in noisy environments, including


noise-cancelling head-


phones and appropriate personal protective equipment when working.


The case for making hearing tests as common as eye tests T e second pillar of maintaining your hearing is detection. In some coun- tries, hearing tests are as routine as annual eye exams or physical check-ups. In other places, it’s still left largely to the individual to initiate hearing screening and testing. T is can delay rehabilitation because hearing loss can be gradual. Phonak wants to ensure everyone


has access to a routine hearing screening, which is why it’s created an online hearing test. It’s a free, conven- ient, low-barrier way for people to assess where they are without having to make an appointment with a hearing care professional. T is test is not designed to replace


the care and treatment of an audiol- ogist; it’s meant to provide a starting point of reference to help you determine whether further investigation with a hearing care professional is warranted. Another — and probably the most important — component of detection


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