Members of the University of the Third Age (U3A) held its meeting at the Old People’s Home on February 16.
The meeting had audiologist Candice van Heerden conduct a talk on the importance of hearing.
Her motto is “better hearing is a better way of life”.
Having a practice in Bedfordview and Benoni, Van Heerden also aims to give better hearing to people in the rural areas in South Africa.
Van Heerden explained how our ears are important for balance; if there is something wrong with our ears or our hearing, there is a higher risk of someone falling.
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“There is a nerve in your ear that sends signals to your brain,” she said.
According to Van Heerden, when the nerve does not get enough exercise, it can shut down.
The part of the brain that receives the sound will then shrink which can cause dementia.
“You can maintain your hearing by wearing a hearing aid for about 10 hours every day to make sure that the nerve gets enough exercise,” she said.
In this day and age hearing aids have become smaller and more advanced to fit a patient’s lifestyle.
The audiologist brought examples to show members.
Van Heerden encouraged people to take responsibility for their hearing.
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