The health benefits of having a hearing test
ROUTINE eye tests and dental checks can help to identify certain health problems, such as diabetes. And now there’s growing evidence that a hearing test can also be an important barometer of health. The link between low-frequency 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 loss, while those with pre-diabetes, where the condition is still classed as reversible, are 30 per cent more likely. 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 huge 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.’