Listen up, it's time for the... GREAT BIG HEARING CHECK 2022
Triton Hearing is raising awareness of the impact of untreated hearing loss in New Zealand. Throughout March Kiwis across the country can participate in the Great Big Hearing Check 2022.
The month-long initiative is being promoted to highlight NZ Hearing Awareness month and the World Health Organisation’s World Hearing Day on 3 March 2022. This year the WHO focus is on raising awareness on how to prevent hearing loss through safe listening practices and the use of hearing protection.
Nearly 500,000 people are currently struggling with untreated hearing loss*, that’s more than half of all people with hearing loss in New Zealand. Groundbreaking research by the NZ Hearing Industry Association shows that hearing loss affects one in six New Zealanders and by 2050 it will affect one in four.
These alarming findings, and their impacts on so many New Zealanders, are a major reason Triton Hearing created the Great Big Hearing Check campaign.
“We see a lot of people with noise-induced hearing loss in New Zealand. Because we have an extensive farming community, a large trades sector and a sizeable manufacturing industry, a lot of Kiwis work in environments where they are regularly exposed to noise and their hearing loss goes undetected,” Craig Lett Triton Hearing’s Head of Audiology & Innovation says.
“While there’s more awareness now of the need to use personal protective equipment, the issue is that people can be quite lax around using the hearing protection for a short-duration activity. For example, they might say: “I’m not putting my hearing protection on just to put a nail in the wall,” says Mr Lett. “But it’s that repetitive exposure over time that chips away at your hearing and accelerates your hearing loss.”
Untreated hearing loss can have a significant impact on quality of life – not only for the individual but also their partner and family – and ultimately result in greater permanent damage.
“Most people don’t get their hearing checked until 7 years after they first noticed a hearing loss. Often, it’s such a gradual decline that it goes unnoticed by the individual, so like getting your eyes tested, getting your hearing checked annually - even just as a precautionary measure, is a great step in looking after your hearing.”
Hearing loss is increasingly being identified as a risk for a range of longterm impacts, from social isolation and depression to the onset of dementia. “The brain is often under a lot of pressure trying to understand what someone is saying, and hearing loss can have a negative impact on memory if it goes undetected. Healthy ageing is a goal we should all aspire to. We know early intervention with hearing loss has a key part to play in ensuring we live life to the fullest”, says Mr Lett.
To support NZ Hearing Awareness month in March, Farmlands, Unichem and Life Pharmacies, MTA, Waikato-Tainui and Triton Hearing are getting behind the Great Big Hearing Check, encouraging all New Zealanders to get their hearing checked for free.
If the hearing check indicates a potential hearing loss, Triton Hearing will provide a full diagnostic hearing assessment with an audiologist, free of charge at one of their 70 locations throughout New Zealand.
For every hearing check completed, Triton Hearing will also donate $1 to National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing to support the amazing work they do and help to identify and treat Kiwi kids with hearing loss. Last year 1,300 children were screened and 286 were identified as having hearing loss.
“We’re thrilled to be part of the Great Big Hearing Check and a huge thank you to Triton for their amazing support of the Foundation,” says Natasha Gallardo, Chief Executive.
Last year more than 10,000 New Zealanders took part in the Great Big Hearing Check with $10,000 donated to the National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing, and Triton Hearing is hoping that 2022 will be the biggest year yet!
Did you know?
Nearly 500,000 New Zealanders or 58% of those with hearing loss*, don’t wear hearing aids.
Many people, (about 67%), believe that they cannot afford hearing aids. The reality is that 90% of New Zealanders with hearing loss are eligible for government funding and subsidies, but many New Zealanders do not realise this.
Once the degree of hearing loss is known, hearing devices can help, in fact 95% of wearers say hearing aids improve their quality of life*. Hearing aid use significantly improves the mental wellbeing of users, improving social and family interactions, work performance and increased safety and independence.
At Triton Hearing, hearing aids start at just $495 or $1 a day for a pair with government subsidy and there are also fully-funded options available through ACC and Enable NZ for those eligible.
Surprisingly common, Tinnitus affects over 207,000 New Zealanders over the age of 14. **
Listen Up event - 17 March 2022
Join National Foundation for Deaf & Hard of Hearing for a powerful and educational virtual conference featuring a panel of exceptional speakers who have walked the walk and have embraced their hearing loss to reach their full potential. Reality TV star Lily McManus, who has a hearing impairment, will MC the event.
You’ll hear how to support employees and customers who are deaf and hard of hearing and an NZSL trainer will present an interactive workshop on deaf awareness and New Zealand sign language. www.nfd.org/nz/listen-up
Whether you think you have a hearing loss or not, a quick hearing check is the first step, and the friendly team at Triton Hearing have made it as simple as possible.
To be part of the Great Big Hearing Check 2022, check your hearing for free at participating Unichem and Life Pharmacies, Triton Hearing clinics or online at greatbighearingcheck.co.nz nationwide there are 190 locations to have your hearing checked for free so what could be easier?
Be in to win the Great Big Prize Pack!
Every hearing check completed during March will go into the draw to win great prizes valued at over $10,000! These prizes have been generously donated by Triton Hearing and sponsors Farmlands, Unichem and Life Pharmacies, and MTA.
*Statistics provided in this article are based on the findings of the NZ Track Report 2018 commissioned by the New Zealand Hearing Institute Association and extrapolated into the 2021 NZ population data.
**Wu B., Searchfield G., Exeter D. & Leehe A. 2015, ‘Tinnitus prevalence in New Zealand’, The New Zealand Medical Journal, vol. 128, no. 1423.