Seventy-three percent of Australians aged over 70 have a mild to severe hearing loss. This percentage rises as age increases. As many as 85% of people in ‘nursing homes’ are typically hearing impaired.
Read more about Fact sheet: Hearing loss is a widespread disability amongst older people
If you are concerned that you may be losing your hearing, tackling the problem early can improve both your hearing and your quality of life.
Choosing the right hearing aid and provider can be difficult. Before you buy a hearing aid, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself.
Take steps to reduce the tension in as many ways as you can, including making allowances and compromises for each other. And learn to listen – which involves much more than hearing!
Read more about Fact sheet: Communicate better with people with hearing loss
An ear infection is an inflammation of the middle ear, usually caused by bacteria, that occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum. Anyone can get an ear infection, but children get them more often than adults. Ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their child to a doctor. The scientific name for an ear infection is otitis media (OM).
Swimmer’s ear is an infection or inflammation of the canal between the eardrum and the outer ear. Another name for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa. Causes include water in the ear canal, mechanical damage due to overzealous cleaning, and chemical irritation from hair treatment products.