Healthy Heart, Healthy Hearing
Major new research has shown that if you’ve been a smoker or are over-weight, then you may face a bigger risk of losing your hearing, especially as you get older.
So what’s good for the heart could be good for the ears. If you’re concerned about your own hearing, or that of someone close to you, you can get a full hearing check-up without charge at one of the country’s leading hearing care centres. The research was funded by RNID, the charity for deaf and hard of hearing people, and is one of the largest ever studies into risk factors for hearing loss. Over 4,000 people aged between 53 and 67 took part, involving nine audiological centres in seven European countries. For more information about RNID visit http://www.rnid.org.uk The research found that people who smoked regularly for more than one year had worse hearing than those who had never smoked, and that the more you smoke (more years or more packs per day) the greater the hearing loss. So you’re not just doing damage to your heart and lungs when you smoke, you could be damaging your hearing too. A healthier lifestyle means healthier hearing.
Why wait?
Just as people get their eyes tested and teeth checked regularly, hearing is no less important. For most people, hearing loss is just normal wear and tear and one more fact of life. The good news is that help is possible for those who choose to find it. Once you do start to lose your hearing, you can make up for the loss by using various types of hearing aid. And what you really need is lifetime care, to check and monitor your hearing regularly, so that any device you’re using to help your hearing is exactly right for you and is working correctly all the time to its maximum performance. To help people who care about their hearing and want to have a thorough check-up, Hidden Hearing has produced a free information pack that tells you everything you need to know about buying a hearing aid.
Hearing facts
• One in five people over the age of 55 has difficulty hearing.
• One in two people over the age of 65 has difficulty hearing.
• The average person with sight problems waits 3 years before seeking help.
• The average person with hearing problems waits 15 years before seeking help.
• One in 10 adults in the UK would benefit from wearing a hearing aid, but only one in 30 has one.
To get your FREE information pack and your FREE hearing check, contact us or call FREE on 0800 515 349.