Hearing Health Myths - Understanding the Truth Behind Common Misconceptions

When we discuss employee health and wellbeing, we often find assumptions are made when it comes to looking after hearing health. We want to help employers and employees understand a lot of these assumptions are based on misconceptions, old ways of thinking, and out of date practices. Gone are the days of ignoring our health until it causes us problems. When thinking about prevention and steps we can take to protect our health, we need to start understanding our hearing is so important and precious, and it’s time we looked after it in a proactive manner, much like our eyes or teeth.

Look below to see how we’re providing clarity when it comes to hearing health, and why it’s important for everyone regardless of their age or role:

We don’t have a noisy department or factory, so we don’t need hearing tests	Good news! Hearing checks and tests are not just for those who work in noisy industries. We’re changing the narrative and getting businesses to think about their employees who work in generally quiet places. We focus on overall hearing health and creating healthy hearing habits, which is raising awareness of natural changes to hearing, rather than just meeting occupational health requirements.
The people in noisy roles already get checked - our factory department are all sorted for hearing tests	We need to stop thinking that hearing care stops once we step out of a noisy work environment. Should employers only care about hearing when it’s in a noisy workplace? We need to start being aware of hearing in all situations, and how even subtle changes in hearing affect day-to-day life, impacting communication, social inclusion, and mental health. It’s great that the employees regularly exposed to loud noise get their hearing checked, but what about everyone else?
Our workforce is mostly young, aren’t hearing tests for older people?	Hearing can change at any age, and differs between people, so hearing tests are a great way to start conversations when it comes to hearing health across generations. They’re also a really effective way to educate all ages, especially at work where there are multigenerational workforces, and wearing headsets and headphones is becoming the norm. It’s so important for everyone to learn about and practice healthy hearing habits, understand the importance of regular breaks from headphones, and to recognise common signs of natural hearing loss which can impact both their work and social lives.
Aren’t I too young for a hearing test? I’m only in my 50’s	Hearing tests are not only available for ‘older people’, as hearing can change at any time. We often start to notice changes between the ages of 40-60 years old, and having a hearing test at this stage provides reassurance and a benchmark of where our hearing levels currently are. Far too many people wait too long to not only identify, but also act upon, any hearing changes. Starting to test earlier in life helps normalise the process, and enables people to proactively look after their hearing and brain health sooner rather than later.
Wouldn’t a hearing test be time consuming? We can’t afford to have staff out the business for long	We understand employees and employers worry about time away from work to attend appointments. We’ve met people who have put off looking after themselves because they don’t want to wait at a GP surgery, or who simply find the process of sorting out appointments to be time consuming. That’s why we’ve made it so much easier with quick, yet in-depth, hearing tests held at your place of work. In 15 minutes you will have the results of your hearing test, and walk away from the appointment with relevant action points on what to do next. Our individual hearing tests are performed only by experienced, qualified Audiologists, and unlike a quick hearing ‘screen’, means you get a comprehensive review of your hearing, by an expert who fully understands.
Surely I’d notice if there was a change in my hearing?	Hearing loss can often be very subtle and gradual. Many employees hope they’d notice any changes to their hearing, but the reality is we only start to really identify hearing loss once we have a noticeable problem, and even then, we often put off seeking help a bit longer. Given hearing changes normally happen slowly over time, it’s easy to forget just how well we used to hear. Key indicators our hearing is worsening include mishearing words more frequently, asking others to repeat what they’re saying, and finding conversations in social situations ever harder to follow. Earlier, and more routine hearing tests allow us to identify signs of hearing loss on a more timely basis. This proactive approach means we can make more timely adjustments either at work or in our personal lives, before we start to really struggle, and also before those around us notice.

It's time for these misconceptions to be a thing of the past. Just as we see the benefits of regular eye tests and dental checkups, it’s crucial we normalise regular hearing tests within the workplace. By bringing accessible, efficient, hearing tests on-site for employees, you’re actively making your workforce’s health a priority, whilst also taking steps to improve communication, mental wellbeing and productivity. It’s a change that has significant positive impacts on your employees in all aspects of their lives.

Click here to request a call back to find out more about Workplace Ear Care and how we can help you.

Written by Nicola Miller BSC MSHAA, Director and Clinical Lead at Workplace Ear Care.

Nicola is an Audiologist with 15 years of experience working in both the NHS and private sectors