On World Hearing Day: Get a hearing test and protect your hearing
March 3 – World Hearing Day: A great opportunity to take some time to focus on your ears again—and to get a hearing test. As a recent study shows, preventive care for our hearing is still nowhere near as important as it is, for example, for our teeth or eyes.
Tomorrow is World Hearing Day! Why is this important to you? Because our hearing plays a crucial role in allowing us to perceive our surroundings, navigate our daily lives with ease, and communicate effectively. This quality of life is important at every age! In addition, many people have hearing loss but are unaware of it. A recent study by the German Hearing Aid Industry Association (BVHI) and Kantar TNS, conducted in honor of World Hearing Day, confirms that hearing loss is no longer a rare occurrence. Six out of ten respondents (59 percent) said they know people with hearing loss. And 87 percent of those have moderate to severe hearing loss.
Prevention and early detection aren't a given—but they're essential
After all, more than two-thirds of survey participants (71 percent) have already had a hearing test, the study continues. This result clearly shows that more and more people are taking care of their hearing. However, for many, preventive care for their ears is still nowhere near as important as it is for their teeth or eyes—even though it’s at least just as important. Did you know, for example, that undiagnosed—and therefore untreated—hearing loss carries additional health risks? If your hearing is impaired, it can have far-reaching consequences, including stress, sleep disturbances, dizziness, or even depression. In the study in question, only just under one-third (30 percent) of all respondents were aware of this—so there is clearly still a need for public education.
Get Involved: Test Your Hearing and Live a Healthier Life
To highlight the importance of good hearing and to promote the early detection and timely treatment of hearing loss, on World Hearing Day, hearing care professionals, ENT doctors, and other partners across Germany offer free hearing tests and comprehensive information about hearing. Take advantage of this opportunity and join in: You’re sure to find a hearing care professional near you using the hearing care professional locator! On the World Hearing Day campaign page, you’ll also find exciting and informative events taking place to mark the occasion. At the children’s concert “Lilo Lausch and Anne Kaffeekanne” in the foyer of Hessischer Rundfunk in Frankfurt, for example, parents and children sing and dance along enthusiastically when Anne Kaffeekanne, Cowboy Jim from Texas, and Augustin the Rabbit rock out to the “Katzentatzentanz.” And at the 7th Kleve Hearing Forum 2018, there will be plenty of fascinating expert presentations on improving hearing. Find out about other upcoming events on the World Hearing Day website.
