Need a device to stimulate your love-life? - for many older Australians a hearing aid could do the trick.
A poll of 300 Australians with deafness, and aged over 65, shows how a hearing aid can have broad-ranging positive effects on personal relationships and social lives.
Ninety per cent of respondents said they could understand speech better, and almost as many said it helped them to listen to music or the television.
Many also reported the device made "intimate conversations" easier, while one in 10 went further, saying the device had improved their love life.
"Three-quarters of our clients said that hearing aids make it easier to have intimate conversations," said Janette Thorburn, principal audiologist at Australian Hearing.
"This research illustrates the positive benefits that managing a hearing loss has on a person's social life and relationships."
Just over 70 per cent of those in the study were living with a partner and no one reported their love-life had worsened.
The Galaxy Research study also found 66 per cent of respondents said hearing aids had helped them to overcome difficulties in "connecting" with family and friends.
More than half said it had improved their social lives - for 23 per cent it was a "large" improvement and 31 per cent reported a "small" gain.
Hearing aid users also strongly reported it was easier for other people to talk to them (84 per cent), and these people no longer had to talk loudly (75 per cent).
The research follows a study released by Australian Hearing in 2007 which found people with hearing problems also often displayed many symptoms of depression.
"We encourage anyone aged over 60 to get their hearing checked every two years," Ms Thorburn said.
"The benefits of using a hearing aid are significant."
The research was conducted for Deafness Forum Australia, a non-profit organisation for the hearing impaired community.
It was released on Monday to mark Hearing Awareness Week (August 23-29).
Visit www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au for more information.
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