Approximately 12,000 people in Lanzarote may suffer from some hearing problem, a figure that in the Canary Islands as a whole amounts to 140,000 people, according to GAES, based on statistics on this problem in Spain. Hearing loss is an increasingly common condition in society, surpassed only by osteoarthritis and hypertension.
To raise awareness about this problem and to become aware of the importance of preventing possible alterations, GAES is carrying out a campaign that travels through different points of the Canary Islands to check hearing and inform about the importance of taking care of and monitoring the health of the ears. The "Audiobus" is visiting Arrecife this week, where figures indicate that almost 5,000 people could have hearing problems. Specifically, this initiative will remain in the city between January 27 and 29 on Calle Real, and on January 30 and 31 in the Islas Canarias Park in this town. Anyone who wishes can check their hearing there for free from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
This initiative, which will travel through different points of the Canary Islands, has already passed through Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Telde, Sta Cruz de Tenerife, La Laguna and Vecindario with great success. In the Audiobus, an "auditory screening" will be carried out, a simple test that determines if there may be hearing loss, both by air and by bone. A specialized hearing aid specialist will carry out the tests and if any problem is detected, the person will be referred to a specialized center to undergo a complete hearing check and assess what the problem may be.
When to suspect?
According to GAES, you should suspect a hearing problem when you start to have difficulty understanding a conversation and need to have words repeated to you frequently, especially when there are several people talking at the same time or background noise. Other typical symptoms of hearing loss are the need to turn up the volume of the radio or television, difficulty talking on the phone or understanding children, as well as confusing some words with others.
To detect a hearing problem, it is enough to carry out a simple test - an audiometry - in a specialized center that has professionals and accredited equipment, which follow the recommendations of the ENT specialist. "Once the diagnosis is known, the solutions can be very diverse," says GAES. "Currently, thanks to advances in technology, there are personalized hearing solutions, depending on the extent of hearing loss."