For many Greeks who end up getting a hearing test, it’s never really the individual who comes of their own accord. It’s the long suffering family that more often than not is giving the final push.

For Greeks, hearing loss is something they may not often accept or admit that they have a hearing problem. Most of the time it’s someone else’s problem, people aren’t speaking properly, or they can’t hear or they misunderstood. – Audiologist Cris Ivanidis

Hearing loss often happens in a gradual progression and is not often noticed until it’s too late.

Many people are so used to adapting to the noise levels around them that seeking help isn’t high up on their list. Many don’t realise that there is a problem in the first place.

Hearing loss is something many people find it easier to blame others for, rather than facing the facts and coming to terms with the reality of their deteriorating hearing.

It’s always, “oh they’re mumbling their words”, “it’s too noisy in here” or “I can’t understand you”.

For audiologist Cris Ivanidis, from Active Audiology, getting the patient to first come to terms with their deteriorating hearing can be quite a challenge, especially if they’re from a Greek background.

“For Greeks, hearing loss is something they may not often accept or admit that they have a hearing problem,” he tells Neos Kosmos.

“Most of the time it’s someone else’s problem, people aren’t speaking properly, or they can’t hear or they misunderstood.”

Mr Ivanidis is often the person stuck in the middle between family members at their wits’ end and the reluctant family member.

“Usually it’s significant others that come because they’re more aware of the hearing difficulty. Because they are the ones that are often repeating themselves, that are misunderstood, and then there’s confusion and it ends up in hostile situations.”

A reluctance to admit there’s a problem shows underlying fears. Many don’t want to come to terms with the fact that they’re ageing, many aren’t happy to admit that their actions might have caused the damage and many are uncertain with how society will deal with them.

There are still stigmas surrounding disabilities like being deaf or hearing impaired.

Thanks to a lack of awareness, deaf people and those with limited hearing are excluded from conversations and many times ignored.

A parliamentary inquiry undertaken by a senate committee into hearing health in Australia found that many people are frustrated by the lack of awareness of the hearing impaired.

One case study found that a simple task like going into a shop to purchase something was an ordeal.

“[I’m] sick of people who work in retail or other businesses and organisations who pretend to understand what I say or ignore me or ignore my simple signed requests to have a pen and paper to write down what I need to say to them,” a unnamed person told the inquiry.

“We get dismissed, treated unfairly or like second rate citizens.”

Many people with hearing loss feel that it is not fair to ask people to change their actions (asking them to face them when they’re talking, speaking slowly
and clearly).

For Greek Australians who have hearing difficulties, the problem is exacerbated when they struggle with the English language.

Principal audiologist for Australian Hearing, Janette Thorburn has dealt with many Greek patients and has witnessed quite dangerous situations when hearing problems and language difficulties are in the mix.

“Culturally and linguistically diverse communities definitely have more of an issue with important things such as when they go to the pharmacist to hear what their medication is and how they’re meant to take it, often the instructions are in English and they can get it wrong,” Ms Thorburn tells Neos Kosmos.

Sadly, it’s estimated that 37 per cent of hearing loss can be prevented.

Preventable hearing loss is caused by excessive noise and medical problems that go untreated like ear infections.

Our ears are so sensitive, that just by going to a nightclub or a live music concert, our hearing can be damaged in just 15 minutes.

Louder sounds, such as a jet planes or gunfire, both of which are more than 110 dB, can cause damage in just one minute.

The young are quite susceptible to these things as many aren’t aware they’re putting their hearing in danger.

“You’re young, you think you’re indestructible, where they think ‘I’ll worry about it later’,” Mr Ivanidis says.

Mr Ivanidis has many young clients who come to him to get fitted for earplugs that will help their hearing at their place of work.

Especially in work sites and music venues, the young need to be more vigilant in protecting their hearing.

“It’s a sad thing, because I do see people who are musicians or who work in construction relatively young, mid to late-20s who are showing signs of hearing loss,” he says.

“Even people who work in construction, people who use power tools and work in a noisy environment, who maybe don’t know, who are ridiculed on the work site for wearing earmuffs or earplugs, which consequently results in damage to their hearing.”

Research by Australian Hearing has at least shown that the use of personal music devices hasn’t really altered the cases of the young with hearing loss.

Many are using them at adequate noise levels, though problems can arise when outside noise forces them to up the volume.

Both Mr Ivanidis and Ms Thorburn say keeping tabs of the noise around you and monitoring your hearing is an important way to lessen the damage.

“Be more aware of the environment that you’re in, avoid staying in noisy places for long periods of time anymore than what you need to,” Mr Ivanidis says.

“Use hearing protection where and when it’s available and think twice about whether you really need the volume up that loud.”

Ms Thorburn wants the message to get out to as many people as possible, especially during Hearing Awareness Week.

From August 24 to August 30 every year, Hearing Awareness Week organises a number of events like silent sports and hopes to raise awareness of hearing impairments and ways to avoid damaging one’s hearing.

Over half the population aged between 60 and 70 have hearing loss.

An estimated 3.5 million Australians are affected to varying degrees, half of whom are of a working age.

And only 10 to 20 per cent of people who could benefit from a hearing aid wear them.

For more information or to book a hearing test, visit Cris Ivanidis’ Active Audiology available in three Melbourne locations, www.activeaudiology.com.au or go to Australian Hearing www.hearing.com.au

More information and general facts are also available at www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au/