MP Mary Glindon column: Lend me your ears please

That is the strong message from RNID, the charity supporting those who are deaf and have hearing loss or tinnitus.

The charity recognises that unaddressed hearing loss in midlife is the largest and potentially modifiable risk factor for dementia in nearly a tenth of cases. Hearing aids can tackle mild cognitive impairment.

Hearing loss affects millions. About 40% of over 50s have some hearing loss and one in seven people have tinnitus.

Many need to turn up the TV or struggle to follow conversation in pubs and restaurants.

Hearing aids help people to hear better, communicate more confidently, and take part in everyday life. It’s then a virtuous cycle that boosts physical, social, emotional and mental well‐being, with lower odds of depression too.

Hearing aids are clinically effective, cost effective and readily available on the NHS.

Cutting hearing loss and then some of the incidence in dementia could also save nearly a billion in the fast increasing costs of treating dementia.

We should add hearing tests to the NHS Health Check for adults aged 40 to 74 that aims to find signs of stroke, kidney disease, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, or dementia.

As a first step, you can take a free hearing check via the RNID https://rnid.org.uk/information-and-support/take-online-hearing-check/

The three-minute check will tell you if you need to see someone about your hearing and what to do next.

It isn’t the same as a full hearing test, but can reliably identify if you need one. If the check suggests you have hearing loss, you’ll receive a letter to give to your GP.