Accidents Far More Common For People With Hearing Loss

A recent report published in the United States has found that people who suffer from hearing loss are nearly twice as likely to have some sort of accident which injures them as people who don`t have any issues with their hearing. They calculated that of the 232 million people, which is an approximate figure of the population of the United States, around 6.6 million experienced an accidental injury during the course of the year.

Startling Statistics

The study found that people who reported a little trouble hearing were 60% more likely to have an accidental injury, whilst people with moderate difficulty hearing were 70% more likely to have injuries. When people reported a lot of trouble hearing they were 90% more likely to have an accidental injury, which is quite a startling statistic when you think about it.

This is probably not surprising though considering that hearing is one of the main senses that works as a warning that someone or something is close. Dr. Neil Bhattacharyya, a researcher at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, is quoted in the Business Insider website as saying:

"Hearing is a special sense and as such one of its prime sensory functions is as a warning system for the body,"

"When people have hearing loss, they may be less likely to hear warning signs of, for example, a bicycle or motorcycle coming towards them," Bhattacharyya said by email. "They may be less likely to hear a car horn or someone yelling at them to 'duck' if a baseball is headed their direction."

Incentive To Go For A Hearing Test

So this should give people all the more incentive to get help if they are suffering from hearing loss, whether it is mild, moderate or severe. If you have a problem that can be alleviated by the use of a hearing aid then it is important you get checked out in good time and get fitted with a good quality hearing aid. Call Lisburn Hearing Centre for a free hearing test at 028 9264 0302.