Think losing your hearing comes part and parcel with the ageing process? Hear this: Age-related hearing loss can be treated.
This World Hearing Day we are shining light on the many New Zealanders who live with unaddressed age-related hearing loss.
Diagnosing and treating hearing loss with hearing aids and cochlear implants can help improve the quality of life for those who struggle to hear, says The Hearing House Clinical Director Holly Teagle.
“It’s never too late to treat hearing loss. We know that depression, isolation, and loneliness often accompany age-related hearing decline.
“We also know that treating a person’s hearing can improve their wider social, emotional and cognitive wellbeing,” says Holly.
We are a charity, funded in part by the Ministry of Health, which provides cochlear implants and rehabilitative support for New Zealanders who have lost their hearing.
“By restoring access to sound, adults can regain the independence they once knew in a hearing and speaking world,” says Holly.
Nick Linton*, 33, is one of many to have received a cochlear implant through The Hearing House.
For 20 years the Fire Risk Management Officer lived without hearing in his left ear after being hit during a waterpolo match when he was 13 years old.
Since the implant, Linton’s tinnitus – the incessant ringing in his ears – has decreased by around 70 per cent, and he’s hearing sounds he forgot even existed.
“I heard this sound that would come up in intensity and then go down. I looked around, and I saw the trees, and then I realised it was the wind,” he says.
Teagle says hearing technology can make a big difference. The first step is identifying the presence of hearing loss so appropriate referrals can be made.
This is why, as part of World Hearing Day we are collaboration with The University of Auckland Audiology Programme to host FREE Hearing Screenings for anyone concerned about their hearing.
The screenings will take place once Auckland returns to Alert Level 1. Should hearing loss be identified, our team at The Hearing House can provide information and referrals to help you in your journey to better hearing.
To register for your free hearing screening, please call The Hearing House on 0800 2 LISTEN or email reception@hearinghouse.co.nz.
Linda is another one of our cochlear implant recipients. This video was created by the team at Oticon Medical, who supplied the technology that changed her life:
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