Hearing is the sense we neglect the most. Perhaps because its loss is so subtle that it escapes our awareness and control. It is a slow progress towards silence, which gives our brain time to get used to and “compensate”, until it is too late. Also because less than one Italian in five carries out annual hearing checks, which exposes everyone else to an unaware loss, whether physiological or not.
From the research conducted by Med-El in collaboration with Research Without Barriers – Rwb on the occasion of World Health Day it emerges that over one in two Italians neglect their hearing: more than half, 53%, declare that they rarely undergo the test, while over a quarter, 28%, have never had it done. Only 19% have regular checks every year, and there is also a significant gender gap: 25% of male respondents say they have never undergone a hearing test, compared to 32% of the male sample. female.
In line with global trends, more than half of those interviewed in Italy carry out health checks on an annual basis, but between 18 and 24 years old the percentage of those who have never had a check-up is much higher than in the rest of Europe.
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This data is particularly worrying in light of WHO estimates according to which over one billion young people are at risk of permanent hearing loss due to incorrect habits, such as listening to music at high volume and for prolonged periods of time, even worse if with headphones. Risks for which, in most cases, prevention is possible.
Age groups at risk
In Italy there are around 7 million people with hearing problems, both physiological and otherwise: around 25% of people between the ages of 61 and 80 and 50% of those over 80 have a disabling loss of sense. And the greatest increase in the number of cases in recent years is found among those aged 46 to 60, the age group most exposed to environmental risks.
“Recent studies have highlighted that hearing loss in adulthood represents a significant risk factor, modifiable for the development of cognitive impairment in the elderly – adds the professor Nicola Quaranta, president of Siaf – . And this is why, at the first sign, it is absolutely necessary to be examined by an ENT or an audiologist, the only figures who can diagnose the type of problem and identify the correct treatment.”
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Regions compared
At a local level, Basilicata is the first region most attentive to hearing, with 38% of people undergoing regular checks, followed by Abruzzo (27%). On the contrary, Friuli-Venezia Giulia shows the highest percentage of inattention (50% of those interviewed declare they have never had a check). This is followed by Sardinia (47%) and Calabria (42%).
Disparities that are accentuated based on age, perhaps because we continue to mistakenly think that hearing loss is something “for old people” while Australian research last year demonstrated that the deficit can begin as early as children, around the age of 10 years, both due to environmental and genetic factors.
Side effects from deafness
Hearing loss not only isolates and makes it difficult to communicate with others, but it can also cause you to delay visits to the doctor for up to 10 years. Furthermore, as demonstrated by numerous studies, untreated hearing loss is associated with important health problems, from cognitive decline to depression, with a greater likelihood of falls and injuries and cardiovascular risk.
Initially we may only notice small signs: a slight fading of the voices around us, the difficulty in picking up softer sounds or distinguishing words in noisy environments. But we often attribute these small discrepancies to external factors, such as surrounding noise or tiredness, without considering the possibility of hearing deterioration.
Unaware isolation
The problem gradually worsens over time, as we imperceptibly adapt to this new silent reality. The brain, adept at adapting, compensates for the loss, further masking the problem. What was once crisp and clear becomes increasingly blurry, until we find ourselves isolated from our surroundings, trapped in a world of muffled sounds and indistinct words.
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“The Italian data that emerged from our research are disconcerting – he comments Romed Krösbacher, director of Med-El Italia – . There is little attention paid to hearing health checks and little regularity. Instead, it is essential to inform how important it is to identify and treat hearing loss as soon as possible, to guarantee better patient outcomes. The importance of hearing health should be recognized as well as visual health and other health indicators. This is because hearing does not only have to do with sounds, but allows communication, also promotes emotional connections with people, especially family and friends, opens up the musical dimension and much more. In short, it improves the quality of life.”
The importance of the audiometric test
Having your hearing checked regularly is the most effective way to identify any hearing problems early. Audiometric tests are non-invasive: they are quick and easy but provide crucial information on the state of your hearing and any corrective actions to take. It involves wearing headphones and pressing a button every time you hear a sound or recognizing or repeating lists of words. The first audiometric test should be done around the age of 30, or even earlier in the presence of even mild symptoms such as tinnitus, sensation of stuffy ears, pain or dizziness. There are also tests that we can do ourselves online, which however do not replace the actual exam, which must be conducted by an audiometrist technician.