If your hearing appears to be weaker than it once was, it can be very tempting to dismiss this and not get it checked out. But getting a free hearing test can have far more benefits than you think.
The best case scenario is that nothing is wrong and all should be well, with years of good hearing ahead of you, although you should not hesitate to come back for future checks, as even those with perfect hearing today will usually find it declines at some point later on.
If, on the other hand, there is a problem, it can be addressed. Should it be caused by earwax, this can be removed. If there is a bigger medical problem, it can be tackled before the situation gets worse. And if you need a hearing aid, you can get that fitted and enjoy the benefits that come with it.
Having better hearing is not the only benefit you can enjoy, because there are wider health implications linked to hearing. The latest connection made by researchers has been between hearing and heart health.
A study in China using Biobank data of 164,000 people who had undergone hearing tests, of which 160,000 did not wear hearing aids, revealed that nearly 4,500 had cardiovascular problems in a follow-up study 11 years later.
What was noted was that the rate of heart disease was significantly higher in the groups who had a higher speech reception threshold, which means they need people to speak louder for them to understand words.
“Compared with those with normal hearing, participants with insufficient hearing, poor hearing, or hearing aid use had higher heart failure risks,” the researchers stated.
They added: “We have been the first to demonstrate that poor hearing ability is significantly associated with a higher risk of incident heart failure in the general population.”
A further conclusion of the study was that there is a high probability that the psychological strain of poor hearing can contribute to poorer heart health. This would correlate with other forms of poor health that those with poor hearing are more likely to suffer from.
Among these is the link between hearing loss and dementia. As the Alzheimer’s Society notes, people aged between 40 and 65 who suffer a significant decline in their hearing have been shown to have higher rates of dementia.
By contrast, those in this age bracket who have a hearing aid fitted are less likely to suffer from dementia.
Of course, poor hearing does not mean someone is sure to suffer dementia, or that having a hearing aid will guarantee they do not, but it is one of several factors making it more likely that cognitive decline will occur.
Research from France may hint at another health correlation. A study at the Centre for Biodiversity and Environmental Research has found that women are naturally better at hearing than men, although the exact reasons for this have not been established.
Women are known to live longer than men, so the question may be asked whether this is a contributory factor, given the link between worse hearing and other serious health issues.
However, women are also more likely to seek medical help if they have an issue than men, so this may also be a factor – and a reminder to men in particular to get their hearing tested.
