Many people feel a sense of stigma about hearing loss, not least as it is associated with ageing. This means that younger people who may have an issue will be among the most reluctant to book a hearing test.
However, the reality is that hearing problems can happen to people of any age. Some people are unfortunate enough to be born with a hearing impairment, but it is also common for this to develop at a young age.
Even famous Hollywood stars are not immune to this. Shailene Woodley, who appeared in the Divergent films and Big Little Lies, told the She MD Podcast how she had to deal with a “conflation” of health problems while filming the Divergent trilogy.
She declined to disclose exactly what the problem was, but stated: “I was in a position in my early 20s. It got to the point where I was losing my hearing.” Other symptoms included exhaustion and stomach cramps after meals.
The actress searched far and wide for solutions, ranging from standard medicine to herbalism, while turning down parts in other films after the Divergent series as her mental health suffered alongside her physical ordeal.
Thankfully, the situation “resolved itself” and she no longer suffers the symptoms, but the struggles suffered by Shailene Woodley may impact many others in their 20s who find they are suffering unexpected medical problems, including hearing loss.
Often, hearing loss is not accompanied by other issues, although sometimes problems like vertigo can arise because the problem lies in the inner ear, which is where balance is regulated.
Whatever the cause or the problem, being young is no guarantee against hearing problems and if you are in your 20s and 30s and have an issue, don’t hesitate to get a test. It may be a problem that requires a hearing aid or surgery, or it could be much easier to solve, but until it is diagnosed you won’t be able to get the help you need.
It is also worth remembering that hearing loss is a much more widespread problem than is commonly understood.
Writing for the Daily Mirror, Dr Miriam Stoppard, who has had hearing aids fitted to deal with her own hearing loss, pointed out that research from the universities of Manchester and Nottingham have shown 18 million people in Britain have some sort of hearing loss, a third more than previously established.
Like Shailene Woodley, she noted that mental health can be impacted by hearing loss. In particular, studies have shown that there is a clear link between dementia and hearing loss in later life.
The fact that younger people are still at risk of hearing loss, the mental health impacts of not having it dealt with and the reality that, far from being the exception, you would be in the company of 18 million other people in Britain are all reasons to forget about any stigma you may have.
After all, the sooner you have your problems addressed, the sooner they can either be resolved (such as if earwax removal will do the trick) or addressed in a way that will manage the condition if it is a permanent issue, such as having a hearing aid.
