A Guide To Healthy Hearing In 2020



All of our senses are essential to the way we experience daily life and interact with others. Hearing is the link that lets us understand and communicate with our family, friends, colleagues and community.

The foundation to communication is understanding what other people are saying. We spend more time listening than speaking. In fact, we spend up to 80% of our waking hours in some form of communication, and 45% of that time is spent listening.

Hearing loss forces our brains work harder to interpret the sounds we hear, and hearing loss of any degree may contribute to increased risk of dementia. As we age, untreated hearing loss can contribute to a decline in physical wellness – which impacts daily routines and lifestyle.

In many cases, hearing loss is gradual so it goes unnoticed for many years. For Canadians aged 40 to 79 who reported no loss of hearing, 77% had some form of hearing loss when tested. Even if your hearing loss is not apparent, it still has an impact on our health, wellness and relationships.

If you suspect you have hearing loss, it is essential to get a hearing assessment to know the degree of loss and the opportunities to improve your hearing health. The common signs that you may have hearing loss include:
• Difficulty following conversations in quiet or noisy environments
• If anyone mentioned to you that you are not hearing as well as you used to
• You often have to ask people to repeat themselves
• Social events are fatiguing because you spend tremendous mental energy trying to understand what people are saying

If it is difficult to understand what people are saying in certain environments, a hearing test will help you understand why you experience those challenges. If you experience ringing in your ears (including buzzing, whooshing or any unwanted perception of sound), it may be a sign of hearing loss or injury.

Healthy hearing contributes to better relationships and wellbeing. If your hearing test does confirm that you have some degree of hearing loss, you can work with your hearing healthcare professional to develop a plan for better hearing health.

If you feel that you, or someone you love may be experiencing hearing loss, or if your are over 60 and have not had your hearing assessed in the past year, visit sonichearing.ca to schedule your ear and hearing assessment.

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