Only one in 10 (10%) Britons put hearing in their top three health priorities, and just 7% say that they invest most of their time and money in it compared to other areas of their health, according to new research from Specsavers.
The research reveals that more than a third (35%) consider eye health to be important, but only 28% invest their time and money in it – pointing to a gap between importance and investment that persists across every generation.
Britons rank sleep, diet, exercise and mental health above their sight and hearing, despite the fact that losing either sense can have lifelong consequences. And the scale of the problem is growing – new analysis from Development Economics commissioned by Specsavers has found that sight loss cases will rise from 2.38m to 3.11m by 2040. As well as this, 19.2 million adults have hearing loss in the UK today, and cases of significant hearing loss are expected to rise by 16% by 2040.
Part of the issue is that Britons are hesitant to get tested – half (50%) wouldn’t book a test unless something felt wrong, and nearly half (47%) of those assume that their sight and hearing are fine until symptoms show. This is despite many recognising the importance of sight and hearing care to their overall wellbeing.
While they may not feel that they need to get tested right away, the amount of people living with sight and hearing loss by 2040 is projected to rise by millions. And according to the British Academy of Audiology, of the 6.7m UK adults experiencing hearing loss that could benefit from a hearing aid, only around 2 million currently use one. Hearing and sight issues already costs the UK £106 billion – this is projected to rise to £126 billion by 2040 if changes aren’t made to the accessibility of care within communities.
The research has uncovered that time and proximity are key barriers stopping people getting their hearing and sight tested. People don’t travel more than 30 minutes for a sight or hearing test, with over a quarter (28%) reporting that lack of time is contributing to their delaying or avoiding an eye test, and 22% feeling the same way when it comes to a hearing test.
The high street still plays a vital role in people’s lives and to their healthcare. 90% say that opticians are essential to their high street, making it the same importance as the post office or bank, and daily high street visitors are three times more likely to get their sight and hearing tested than people who rarely go (73% of regular high street visitors get tested compared to 26% of non-regulars).
Carina Hummel, managing director Optics UK&ROI at Specsavers, said: “Regardless of where people live or their circumstances, it’s so important that we create and preserve easy access to quality sight and hearing care. We need to encourage people to treat their eye and ear health the same way they would treat other areas of their health – a routine check-up, not just booking an appointment when something feels “off”.
“Offering easy access to care via high street appointments and home visits improves health outcomes and wellbeing, ensuring that we are looking after ourselves. For adults, that looks like having a sight test every two years, and a hearing test every 18 months to two years for people over 40. Appointments don’t take long and can ultimately help to detect and treat any conditions sooner.”
