May is Hearing Awareness Month Series: Blog Two: Functional and Physical Ability – Hearing is Central to Total Wellness

Functional and physical ability refers to the ability to carry on normal activities of life. With a hearing loss, some of these normal day to day activities could become challenging, and even unsafe to yourself or those around you. A hearing loss can impact your ability to hear warning signals like fire alarms, ambulance sirens or smoke detectors, and can also alter your perception of being able to tell which direction a sound is coming from. This can put you in danger when you are in traffic, driving, or walking.

Your job and career is another area of your life where your physical and functional ability will be affected by hearing loss. While this is highly dependent on the type of work you do, there are common problems that are experienced by a wide variety of individuals. If you work in a warehouse, factory, or construction type setting, you are putting yourself at risk by not being able to hear certain sounds properly like moving vehicles, forklifts, possible falling parts, warning sirens or bells, and audible cues for machine malfunctions. People that rely on communication with others and job functions related to the radio and the telephone could also suffer a functional disability. Not being able to hear conversation in groups or meetings, could impact a person’s productivity and the productivity of the group. They may have a problem if their job requires travel, due to the inability to hear things like stops on public transportation wake up calls, and safety alarms in public places and hotel lodging accommodations.

Fortunately, treating hearing loss early can limit the impact it will have on these functional and physical abilities.

For more information or to book an appointment please phone Accurate Hearing at one of our 3 locations.

Lower Sackville: 902-252-3004

Halifax: 902-423-7732

Cole Harbour: 902-406-4327