DR. MAX PEMBERTON: Failure to admit you are deaf could lead to divorce

Most of us will know someone whose hearing is failing. They repeatedly ask ‘pardon?’ or turn the TV on full blast, despite everyone else’s complaints. It is a major cause of marital conflict, with partners going crazy and repeating themselves.

Furthermore, any suggestion that there is a problem is often denied or met with hostility.

I remember one of my older cousins ​​insisting that the family suddenly started mumbling instead of accepting the fact that he was going deaf. “Speak for God’s sake!” he barked every time someone opened his mouth.

It became clear that he was very good at lip reading because he would never respond unless you looked directly at him.

Naturally, as soon as there was any suggestion that he should get help for his hearing, he became furious and broke down: the problem was with the whisperers.

I’ve also had patients who have sworn that they can hear very well, even though their husbands insisted they couldn’t and begged them for advice.

They stop using the phone, don’t go out and withdraw into themselves instead of accepting that something is wrong.

It’s a strange reaction to something that should be treated like any other medical problem, especially since it’s easily treatable.

And treat it, because according to a groundbreaking study published last week in the Lancet, wearing hearing aids will not only make life easier, but also help you live longer.

The study suggested that the risk of premature death for someone with hearing loss is reduced by 24 percent if they regularly wear an aid, compared to if they never use one. It is thought that this may be, at least in part, because it helps improve mental health and cognition.

But the stark fact is that there is a stigma attached to wearing hearing aids, which is why many people shy away from them.

The gap between someone experiencing the first symptoms of hearing loss and seeking help is typically ten years. A whole decade! This is terrible.

Imagine if people who lost their sight waited so long to get glasses, and instead of seeking help, settled for a life of bumping into things?

It’s ridiculous and we wonder why anyone would tolerate something that is completely manageable and treatable.

But it’s not just a matter of getting your hearing tested and getting an aid – digital hearing aids are available free on the NHS for those who need them – an estimated quarter of people who have the devices don’t use them.

The reasons are complex: many suffer from background noise, but one aspect is of course that hearing aids are associated with old age. It’s not necessarily vanity; the situation deserves our compassion and understanding, because the fear of appearing weak and old is at its root.

Glasses are now a fashion accessory, with designer brands such as Tom Ford and Gucci making frames, while the same has not happened with hearing aids.

It means people are putting their mental health at risk and, according to this study, shortening their lifespan because they delay getting help.

Hearing problems have been linked to increased rates of depression, anxiety, phobias, alcohol use and even suicide.

They are also strongly linked to dementia and yet, interestingly, the rates among those who have an adequate hearing aid are the same as those without hearing loss.

It has been suggested that sensory nerves involved in hearing stop working properly because they are not stimulated and this causes damage in other parts of the brain.

Hearing loss is strongly associated with social isolation and marital discord and can even lead to divorce due to the strain it can place on relationships if left untreated.

It may be all too easy to let frustrations boil over, but encouraging a friend or partner to get help may be the kindest thing you can do for them.

According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, 40 percent of people aged 50 and over in Britain have hearing loss, rising to 70 percent in people over 70. But only one in five people whose hearing is poor enough to to justify a hearing aid, actually has one.

A gentle intervention can make a difference, not only to their health, but to their well-being – and yours too.

Beware of scans like Rita’s

Singer Rita Ora has come under fire for promoting a £1,966 MRI scan that reportedly allows early detection of more than 500 cancers and diseases.

Rita, 33, was criticized for being out of reach for most people. My problem is that this type of ‘screening’ is not evidence based and can lead to more problems than it can cure.

Screening someone for a condition is a difficult balancing act between saving lives and not causing harm through unnecessary treatment. General screening in otherwise fit and healthy people can detect incidental problems that pose no real risk to a person’s health.

But because they have been noticed, they need to be investigated – more tests, more procedures, all with added risks. Incidental findings, such as benign growths, sometimes called “incidentalomas,” lead to invasive and dangerous investigations.

The odd serious condition will be picked up by these types of screenings, but I worry about all the myriad associated problems they can bring as well.

The latest series of strikes by junior doctors is coming to an end this week. It marks a record number of days in which medics have downed tools – the longest ever strike in the history of the NHS.

Figures show it has cost taxpayers billions, surgeries and appointments have been canceled and there is evidence it has also resulted in a rise in deaths. Yet we appear to be no closer to resolving the dispute.

I have great sympathy for the doctors in training, but the effect on the public is terrible. I’ve been thinking for a long time about how this could be solved. There are no easy answers. The demand for a 35 percent wage increase seems like wishful thinking.

But I wonder if there aren’t other concessions that could be made that would appease the junior doctors to break the impasse?

The latest figures show that the number of doctors signing up to work abroad will rise to the highest level in a decade by 2023 and will cost £2.8 billion. This does not apply to all those who leave for other professions, such as banking or technology companies.

So yes, give the trainee doctors a pay rise, but couple that with the requirement that they work in the NHS for a certain period of time after completing their training. Say, five years.

Furthermore, providing a grant to future doctors and eliminating their fees would mean no more student loans, and this would also amount to a pay increase.

This is not a final plan, but just an idea of ​​how, with some lateral thinking, a solution can be found.

Garden guru Monty Don has spoken about how his wife almost left because of the impact Seasonal Affective Disorder had on him.

While we readily recognize that caring for someone with a physical disability takes its toll, we rarely do the same for conditions such as depression.

DR MAX PRESCRIBES FOR…

DRINK BREAK

I’m quite a fan of dry January because it gives people a chance to see what life is like without booze. I often advise patients to give it a try to understand the role alcohol plays in their lives.

Yes, it’s already a week of January, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start a little later. It can teach us a lot about our drinking habits in ways that a few sober nights won’t.