Now more than ever, as the Baby Boomer generation ages, people are starting to take their hearing very seriously. Making sure that they can hear properly is becoming a top priority for people as they realize the negative impact on their personal relationships, self-confidence and enjoyment of life. This is because our hearing affects every aspect of our lives, from our relationships with people to our ability to work effectively, and from our activities and hobbies to our general enjoyment of the world around us.
Hearing is Safety
For many people, part of this enjoyment comes from sports. But did you ever consider how important hearing is when you are physically active? People generally assume that sight is most important in sports, but your hearing plays an important part in terms of safety and performance when it comes to sports.
Audiologists and Athletes
The audiologists at Hearing Doctors have many patients who are active and athletic, and they have first hand experience in how hearing loss affect sports performance, and how best to treat it.
Hearing for Cyclists
For cyclists, being in tune with their bike is extremely important. Not being able to hear well may affect how quickly you can identify squeaking or grinding noises that can be indications of bigger mechanical problems. Not being able to hear will keep you out of touch with what is happening with those around you, affecting both your safety and theirs.
Hearing for Runners
Runners need to be able to hear so that car horns, sirens, trucks, dogs or other potential hazards don’t sneak up on them. If you can’t hear someone calling out to you warning of a potential risk, it can affect your safety. If you can’t hear the starter pistol at the start of a race, it can also affect your performance.
Hearing for Golfers
Even for those day-to-day people who enjoy a simple game of golf, hearing is especially important in getting the most out of your sport. In June 2005, Golf Digest did a story called “The Search For Feel” by Peter Morrice. In the article, Morrice drew a direct link between one’s hearing capability and one’s performance on the golf course. The article even quoted Arnold Palmer as saying “Without my [hearing] aids…I lose all feel for what I want to do.”
Hockey analyst Liam Maguire tried the Golf Digest experiment with a hockey stick instead of a golf club, and found that “You just can’t handle the puck if you’re not able to hear it hitting the stick. It’s amazing how much hearing plays into these basic capabilities.
So no matter if you’re a pro hockey player, a marathon runner or a recreational golfer, your hearing matters to your sport – and to your life.
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