After nearly 30 years of happy marriage I regret to report that my wife, Katherine, has started mumbling. She, on the other hand, is convinced that the fault lies with me, and that I have joined the hard-of-hearing club — those of us that live with some degree of significant hearing loss. And, as ever, Katherine is probably right.
The tell-tale signs have been present for some time. I prefer the television louder than her and often struggle in noisy environments where I find it easier to hear men than women. The impairment is subtle but, as with not being able to see properly without my glasses, is becoming increasingly annoying — to me and everyone else.
I can’t look in my own ears so I can’t be sure of the cause but, assuming both canals are not blocked with wax, I expect it is age-related hearing loss (presbycusis), which affects most of us after middle age. There are a number of factors that contribute to this natural deterioration with age, the most important of which is cumulative exposure to noise. Put simply, the louder the noises and the longer the exposure, the faster your ear ages and the sooner you lose your hearing.
I wish I had understood this during my formative years when I spent far too much time listening to and playing loud rock music. Then, latterly, on the farm earmuffs got in the way when you were crutching sheep or chopping trees, so hey, why bother!
I can’t turn the clock back but I do look after my ears these days in the hope that I can stem any further loss. And I am forever warning others to be careful, particularly if, like my sons, they spend a lot of time listening to music on their headphones/earbuds.
The World Health Organisation has produced safe-listening guidelines for people, including those using headphones. At anything up to 60dB (normal conversation) you can listen as long as you like. Turn it up to 85dB and the safe limit is about 12 hours a week. Increase it to 110dB (the loudest many personal devices will go) and it drops to just two and a half minutes a week. And bear in mind this will vary depending on what else you are exposed to across the week. So if you spend your weekends riding a farm bike (without earplugs) you will need to turn the volume down even more on your commute to work.
Sadly awareness of the hazards of exposure to loud sounds has only come to the fore relatively recently, and by the time most of us realise the error of our ways, it is too late. Presbycusis is not reversible. In 1989 my hearing was probably damaged after just 15 minutes of thrashing a guitar solo to the front of the crowd at that rock concert. And once the damage is done, the only option is to correct any loss using an aid (or aids) where appropriate. However, people often wait years before seeking help (10 years on average), putting them at risk of other complications beyond marital arguments about mumbling. So if you are struggling, have your hearing checked.
Your GP can refer you for a free check. Alternatively, you can opt to have a private test. Many providers offer this free of charge. Just be careful if you then decide to buy your aids privately, too. Prices vary tremendously so it pays to shop around.