More people are becoming increasingly comfortable with wearing their hearing aids after a survey revealed the number of participants who never use their devices has declined over the last 15 years.
A study was conducted by the University of Manchester based on the annual National Survey for Wales, which is the largest sample on hearing aid use in Britain.
It reported there has been an increase in the number of hearing aid users who put their devices in most of the time, as the stigma of wearing such apparatus has fallen over the years.
Co-author of the study, professor Kevin Munro from The University of Manchester, who is also a NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre Hearing Health Theme Lead, noted that one in six people in the UK suffer from hearing loss, making it the “most common sensory problem in the world”.
“It has a well-known association with cognitive decline and dementia, and as hearing aids are the primary treatment, can have huge benefit to wearers,” he stated.
Despite this, people are still under-using these handy devices, with the study showing a fifth of adults do not use theirs at all, and 30 per cent only using them some of the time. Most commonly, half of those asked used their aids most of the time.
Fellow lead author, professor Harvey Dillion from The University of Manchester, also noted that while all kinds of medical treatments are frequently underused, “achieving uniformly high use of hearing aids … would provide a major benefit to society”.
It seems that seeking help for hearing loss, even with a simple ear syringing procedure in Gateshead, is something many Brits try to avoid.
According to research for the National Campaign for Better Hearing, only 30 per cent of adults would go to a professional if they became hard of hearing.
