SURVEY SHOWS STIGMA ABOUT HEARING LOSS

MORE than a quarter of Irish people have noticed negative changes to their hearing, having to ask people to repeat themselves – but only 2% of people have received help with this loss of hearing.

This means that the majority of the country could be missing out on hearing our favourite sounds, TV shows and music properly – or even saying yes to things we didn’t mean to.

According to new research from Specsavers, 43% of Irish people have never had their hearing tested. This is despite more than half (51%) admitting they can’t hear conversations in busy areas and more than a quarter (27%) confessing they have to ask people to speak louder or repeat themselves.

The survey also highlights the impact hearing loss is having on people’s day to day lives. Almost half (46%) said they often miss someone’s name when being introduced to them and 15% have avoided social situations because of not being able to hear properly.

Over half of those surveyed (52%) said music would be the hardest sound to lose if they suffered with hearing loss, while 29% said it’s nature sounds, like birdsong. It comes as eighties music legend Rick Astley recently discovered he had some hearing loss after a hearing test at Specsavers and now has hearing aids.

To raise awareness of the common symptoms associated with hearing loss, Rick partnered with Specsavers to rerecord his biggest hit, ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ with the lyrics people have misheard for years. Rick has since spoken publicly about his hearing loss to help remove some of the stigma attached to the condition.

Specsavers Ireland Audiology Chairperson Martina McNulty said: ‘Part of the stigma around hearing loss is the fear of having to wear a hearing aid, but this shouldn’t be the case anymore. There have been so many advances in hearing aids – there is some much technology in these tiny devices. Ensuring hearing issues are identified early is key. As well as improving quality of life, early detection can also help prevent other conditions such as early-onset dementia.

‘There is lots that can be done to help and the sooner you take action, the more likely you are to minimise hearing loss.’ To book a free hearing test, visit specsavers.ie/hearing.