Hearing Loss is the number one cause of years lived with disability for people over 70. In Europe, more than 51 million people suffer from hearing loss, and these numbers will only continue to grow. On World Hearing Day, Oticon, an industry leader in advanced audiology and hearing aid technology, raises awareness of how treatment for hearing loss can have a positive effect on quality of life in both everyday and work situations.

Our hearing has a significant influence on the quality of our lives. We all know the feeling of not being able to hear what’s being said and for a big part of the world, this is a daily concern. Hearing Loss is the number one cause of years lived with a disability in people over 70 in Western Europe and Globally.

And we are living for longer. In 2050 the number of people aged above 65 will have doubled compared to today. However, in many cases, we will still start to develop debilitating conditions that are synonymous with age – and this is especially the case with hearing.

On World Hearing Day, March 3^rd, hearing aid manufacturer Oticon looks to raise awareness of the huge difference hearing aids can make to the lives of people with hearing loss.

“We live longer and that put demands on our physical condition. Studies show that our hearing is possibly a big problem for us when we get older. Hearing is crucial for us to function in life and in order to deliver our best in work situations. Since hearing loss is such a huge cause of disability, and since the amount of people with a hearing loss will continue to grow, we need to bring more attention to the problem. This is possible through initiatives such as World Hearing Day,” said Ole Asboe Jørgensen, VP, Global Sales & Marketing, Oticon.

Huge impact on working life

Most people spend around one third of their lives at the work place. In order to perform at their best, it is necessary to have well-functioning hearing. “The negative impact of increased hearing loss affects more than just our social lives, but for those who do suffer from hearing loss, neither your social nor your work life needs to be over. We bring attention to the opportunities we have in order to extend our working life through hearing aids. We know from research that 90 percent of people with hearing loss experience a positive difference at their workplace when they use hearing aids,” said Ole Asboe Jørgensen.