“It’s one of those things that creeps up on you.”

So how loud is too loud?

“It’s about what we call the “dose”, and the dose is the volume over a time,” Mr Davis told Justin and Kate.

Keeping costs down

The findings come as Bupa expands its Hearing operations in to Queensland and South Australia following a successful two-year trial at six clinics in Victoria. Bupa Hearing clinics provide hearing tests from an accredited audiologist and offer hearing aids from a range of manufacturers and levels to ensure people don’t spend any more than they need to.

Bupa Hearing audiologist Simon Davis said that just as everyone has a unique favourite sound, hearing is unique and hearing care should also be unique and tailored to individual needs.

“We know what Australians rank as their favourite sounds and we want to help them hear those sounds, and any other, for as long as possible,” Mr Davis said

“People’s quality of life is really strongly connected to their quality of hearing. The relationships with friends, family and colleagues is the essence of us as people and any decrease in hearing can impact that.

“We wanted to be involved in the care delivery for people’s hearing needs because good hearing is a key to a healthier, happier, longer life. The trial in Victoria showed that this level of service and choice was something customers wanted and we’re now expanding into five clinics in Queensland and four locations in South Australia.

Mr Davis said that the fact Bupa offered devices from a range of manufacturers meant that customers had more choice compared to many outlets and would only be sold what they needed.

“We sell various brands of hearing aid devices and place the needs of the customer first, fitting each device based on what best suits them, regardless of whether they are Bupa members or not.

“Hearing aids can cost anywhere between $1,500 and $11,000 and we think people should only have to spend what they need rather than getting pressured into a particular model or upsold to meet a sales target.

“In addition, at a time when customers are looking for value for money in health insurance, we also offer a genuine 20% discount on all hearing aids for Bupa members,” Mr Davis said.

The new services in Doncaster, Knox and Eastland expand the number of Bupa Hearing and Optical stores to six in Victoria and are available to everyone, not just Bupa customers. It includes free initial 'hearing health' screenings, detailed hearing assessments conducted by audiologists, and sales of hearing devices and accessories.

Simon Davis, a qualified audiologist and Bupa Audiology Manager, says it is known that it can take a person around seven years from the time they first start to notice a hearing problem to the time they do something about it.

"Humans by nature want to communicate with each other - we are social beings, but hearing loss can impact quality of life and time spent with family, friends, or at work," Mr Davis said.

"Hearing loss is often a little more hidden, unlike eye and other health problems, and traditionally there has been some stigma associated with hearing loss and wearing hearing aids.

"The encouraging thing for people is that modern, digital hearing aids are amazing. They have cutting-edge technology and are aesthetically pleasing - if you can see them at all. Even at entry level, devices have some level of signal processing and noise reduction such as directional microphones, so affordability need not be a major issue. Many are now bluetooth compatable which provides connectivity to listening devices such as phones, computers and MP3 players. For all these reasons people of all ages are feeling far more comfortable wearing hearing aids," he said.

As Simon Davis notes: "They have become an interesting topic of conversation rather than an embarrassing conversation to be avoided."

"The one-stop-shop for eye and ear health makes it simple and easy for people that are increasingly time poor and that is most of us!

"If you've got five minutes, come in and have a free initial hearing screening. If you have a legitimate concern about yourself or someone you know, however, there is no substitute for a proper hearing assessment and consultation," Mr Davis said.

Bupa Hearing offers detailed hearing assessments for both adults and children over the age of five. Bupa Hearing offers a range of hearing aid for sale, fitting services and tinnitus advice for adults aged 26 and over. People under the age of 26 are covered by the Australian Government's Hearing program (Office of Hearing Services). Bupa Hearing is accredited to see eligible pensioners and DVA card holders under this program.

More information, including locating your closest Bupa Optical and Hearing store in Victoria, can be found at: https://hearing.bupa.com.au/