Although hearing loss isn't always visible, the statistics show it's the second most common health condition experienced by Australians. Heart disease, cancer and diabetes attract more media attention, but hearing loss is actually more prevalent, affecting millions of Aussies every day.
For most of us though, the risks to our own hearing, and the preventative measures we can take to protect it, remain quite literally unheard of.
Let's start with some definitions. Hearing loss can refer to a few different aspects of how we hear: decreased audibility (loss of ability to hear some sounds at all), decreased dynamic range (less ability to hear a range of soft to loud sounds), decreased frequency resolution (less ability to separate speech from background noise), and decreased temporal resolution (less ability to differentiate intense sounds from weaker sounds).
A person with hearing loss will often experience a combination of these factors, with a fairly straightforward result: they struggle to hear and understand speech. Whether categorised as mild, moderate, severe or profound, hearing loss can impact everything from work and general health to personal relationships.
So it's worth taking a close look at the stats in Australia and the world, and what they indicate about the future of our ears, and our lives
Five percent of the world's population live with impaired hearing. That's 466 million people worldwide, a staggering number with major implications for their quality of life. Closer to home, one in six Australians (or over 3 million) have some degree of hearing impairment, but researchers expect that by 2050, that statistic will be closer to one in four, due to our aging population and the increased exposure to excessive noise in workplaces, through live music and even just slightly too-loud headphones.
A small portion of hearing-impaired Australians suffered a hearing loss during childhood. At present, around 39 children in every 10,000 live with a degree of hearing loss usually related to congenital conditions, trauma during birth, childhood diseases or chronic ear infections. Around 50% of these incidents are preventable in Australia, versus up to 75% worldwide according to the World Health Organisation. High-quality healthcare and screenings mean Australia's rates of childhood hearing loss are lower than much of the world.
Far more common, however, is adult hearing loss. Of the 3.55 million cases of hearing loss in Australia, 1.3 million could have been prevented, and these numbers are expected to double by 2060. These sufferers are more likely to be men, more likely to live outside major cities, and are overwhelmingly more likely to be Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, with rates of up to 10 times higher than the rest of the Australian population.
So as a nation, should we be worried about hearing loss? After all, compared with more acute illnesses like cancer and heart disease, having some trouble with hearing seems a fairly benign health challenge.
The impacts of hearing loss are bigger than you'd think. To start with the economics, a person with untreated hearing loss will earn an average of $10,000 less than a person without it and are 25% less likely to earn a high income. They are significantly more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, or retire early. In total, hearing loss in Australia costs $11.75 billion annually in lost productivity or 1.4% of the nations GDP.
Equally problematic, if not more so, are the social impacts of hearing loss. With a profound impact on an individuals ability to communicate, hearing impairment limits social engagement, increasing the risks of depression and anxiety, and threatening the support networks that are required for healthy aging.
Some researchers also suggest that untreated hearing loss can lead to poor health generally. Rates of falls and hospitalisations are higher in elderly individuals who are hearing impaired, while social isolation can create a cascade of issues that increase the chance of major illness. That's pretty scary for a condition that so rarely hits the headlines.
For professional audiology advice, please contact your local clinic for a consultation.
The good news is, while the impacts of hearing loss can be profound, it's not hard to identify our own personal risk factors. While genetics, as always, plays a role, more than a third of hearing loss is preventable and is known as 'noise-induced hearing loss.'
Technically, while excessive noise is regulated in workplaces by various Work Safe bodies, between 28% and 32% of the Australian workforce are exposed during the course of their job, especially in the manufacturing, construction and agricultural sectors.
It's also well-known that portable music devices are risk factors for hearing loss. Researchers note that Australians are acquiring hearing impairments at much younger ages compared with previous generations, linking this to the recreational use of headphones and earbuds. Regular exposure to loud live music doesn't help, either, especially when average noise levels at concerts and clubs exceed 100dB (that's high enough to damage your hearing after as just 15 minutes exposure).
The good news is, no matter how overwhelming the statistics, a little awareness goes a long way. Taking control of your own risk factors, when you can, means preserving your hearing for as long as possible. And that sounds good, however, you hear it
