I’ve been thinking about this topic since an article by Rod Taylor in Canberra recently. Rod may be best known for his program on Canberra Community Radio, Fuzzy Logic, where he inspires people by showing just how interesting science can be. He has written about the topic of “Use it or lose it” in relation to hearing, so it’s got me thinking.
The question “Do you have have trouble hearing”, if answered honestly, is a good test of hearing. So why, when the answer is “yes” do so many people do nothing at all. I know some of the answers, but I also know how sad that is. That decision to ignore the difficulty hearing might well be the reason you don’t get the next promotion. Uncorrected hearing loss can make us look vague, or not very competent and can lead to mistakes, so it really does lead to missed opportunities – so commonly that it costs the Government billions of dollars in under employment and unemployment. So, if you think you have trouble hearing, do something about it. I doubt if there is anyone other than you stopping you.