Have you heard? This year’s World Hearing Day is nearly here and it’s all about ear care.
As World Hearing Day 2025 (March 3) approaches, we’re taking the theme to heart: “Changing mindsets: empower yourself to make ear and hearing care a reality for all!”
Hearing health is often overlooked, but there are plenty of resources in your local community to help make sure you are protecting your ears.
One of the best ways to begin your hearing health journey is to book a hearing test with your local hearing centre. They will be able to tell you if you have any problems or if you are at risk of developing problems in the future.
They will also be able to advise you on the best way to care for your ears going forward, including hearing devices or ear protection, such as earplugs or ear defenders.
You should go for a hearing test if you are over the age of 55, if your hearing is not as good as it used to be, such as mishearing words or conversations or needing to turn the television or radio up louder than you used to.
You should also get your hearing checked if you are frequently exposed to loud noises, or if you have pain or discomfort in one or both ears.
A whopping 70 per cent of over 70s experience hearing loss, but it can affect people of any age, with approximately 1 in 6 adults in the UK experiencing some form of hearing loss.
By 2030, more than 500 million people are expected to have disabling hearing loss requiring rehabilitation.
More than one billion young people face the risk of permanent hearing loss due to prolonged exposure to loud sounds.
How we hear in the future depends on how we care for our ears today as many cases of hearing loss can be avoided through the adoption of safe listening and good hearing care practices. For those living with hearing loss, early identification and access to timely rehabilitation are essential.
So how can you improve your hearing health in your day to day life?
One way to help protect your hearing is to monitor the volume of media you’re consuming and environments you’re in. Most phones will have a feature that alerts you when you’re listening to music or a video at a level that is higher than is safe.
When listening on a device without this feature, take a short break from listening - if your ears start to ring, then the volume is far too high.
Another common oversight that many people make is not wearing earplugs in loud environments, like concerts.
Book a hearing test today to take the first step in changing your hearing health.
Find out more about World Hearing Day 2025 by visiting the World Health Organisation site: www.who.int/campaigns/world-hearing-day/2025.
Visit your local hearing centre:
Kernow Ear Health | www.kernowearhealth.co.uk