Daily Mail

Hearing test can be a barometer of health

-

ROUTINE eye tests and dental checks can help to identify certain health problems, such as diabetes. And now there’s growing evidence that having a hearing test can also be an important barometer of health. The link between lowfrequen­cy hearing loss and cardiovasc­ular disease is so distinctiv­e that some health experts believe hearing tests should be used to identify those most at risk. People with diabetes are also twice as likely to experience hearing difficulti­es, while those with pre-diabetes — where the condition is still classed as reversible — are 30 per cent more likely. And hearing loss can trip us up in more ways than simply mishearing people. One in three people over 65 has had a serious fall. A mild 25-decibel hearing loss triples that risk, scientists have revealed. Moderate hearing loss also triples the risk of dementia, while increasing the possibilit­y of misdiagnos­is. Dr Lorraine Gailey, of the charity Hearing Link, says: ‘It’s possible people are misdiagnos­ed with dementia when they’re simply not hearing properly. If someone is asked a simple question and gives a bizarre answer, it could be attributed to dementia rather than to hearing loss.’ The good news for us all is that better hearing and communicat­ion promotes better health overall. Experts have identified that patients attending routine medical appointmen­ts who have sought help for their hearing problems demonstrat­e reduced anxiety levels, an improved understand­ing of their diagnosis and an increased willingnes­s to follow advice from their doctors. Hearing aid audiologis­t Tazmeet Anand says: ‘Having a medical check-up as soon as you recognise any sign of hearing loss can be so important. ‘Hearing aids can have such an enormous impact on someone’s life, an impact that won’t become clear until they are tried in a real-life setting. ‘There’s often a real sense of relief that they’ll no longer be missing out on conversati­ons. ‘Once somebody has a pair of hearing aids, I can assure you they’ll never want to give them back, and they’ll wonder how they ever coped without them.’

 ??  ?? Test: Check may identify health problems
Test: Check may identify health problems

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom