On World Hearing Day last Thursday, Professor David McAlpine, Director of Hearing Research at Macquarie University’s Australian Hearing Hub, called on the Federal Government to develop a campaign in order to combat hearing impairment in Australia.

Despite the fact that one in six Australians have a hearing impairment, hearing health has been largely overlooked by the government in comparison with other health issues that have been addressed with prominent campaigns, for example to help people to quit smoking.

“Most Australians are completely unaware of the hearing damage they may be experiencing in everyday life, let alone the importance of getting their hearing checked regularly,” said David.

David argues a campaign is needed  to combat the idea our hearing is a second-class sense, particularly as hearing impairment results in a wide range of adverse health, social, and financial impacts. He says Australians need to be made aware of the causes of hearing-loss, how to prevent it, and the importance of getting regular hearing checkups. GPs, on the other hand, need to encourage their patients to get hearing tests regularly.

David says the message is more important now than ever in order to stop more Australians from damaging their hearing.

“Hearing loss has a profound impact on the lives, employment, and finances of many Australians. When you add in the costs to relationships, performance at work, and impacts to health, there is an urgent need for more Australians to know about the risks, and have their hearing checked more often.”

Don’t miss an interview with David on Sky News tomorrow night, Tuesday 8 March from around 8.20pm.

More information

• Read more about the World Hearing Day campaign.
• Explore the latest research from the Australian Hearing Hub.
• Learn more about Professor David McAlpine.  Below, listen to more about the important role hearing plays in our communication and social interaction, how we can better protect our ears from harm with ‘noise diets’, and how a young Protestant boy from Belfast discovered his love for all things academic.