Check your hearing this 3rd March on World Hearing Day! The day raises awareness on how to prevent deafness and hearing loss and promoting ear and hearing care globally. This year’s theme is ‘Check your hearing’ which draws attention to the importance of early identification and intervention for hearing loss.
On 3 March 2019, the World Health Organisation, who organize the day, will launch a free app that allows people to check their hearing. The app, called HearWHO app, will be used to raise awareness about the importance of hearing, encourage people to check their hearing regularly and practice safe listening and allow health workers to check the hearing status of people in their communities.
Many people live with unidentified hearing loss and often fail to realise that they are missing out on certain sounds and words. Checking your hearing is the first step towards addressing the issue. Everyone should regularly check their hearing, especially those in groups at a higher risk of hearing loss such as the over 50s and people working in loud environments.
The risks of hearing loss has become particularly more prominent in recent years with technology such as those listening to music or watching television at high volumes, creating higher risk of hearing loss from a younger age. Unless action is taken, by 2030 there will be nearly 630 million people with disabling hearing loss.