Prevalence of Hearing Loss Among Adult Canadians

Hearing loss is a lot more common than you might realize. A new study published in the Canadian Journal on Aging sheds some light on just how common hearing loss really is.

Canadians Over 45 Face Hearing Loss

A recent study, published in March 2021, provides some insight into rates of hearing loss among Canadian adults. Researchers from across the country looked at data collected from the CLSA dataset. This is a 20-year cohort study of approximately 50,000 Canadians who were all between the ages of 45 to 85 when the study began.

The study found that approximately 2.7 million Canadians over the age of 45 have hearing loss. It’s estimated that 1.5 million men and 1.2 million women have hearing loss. All in all, that’s about 15% of men and 13% of women over 45 who have a hearing loss.

Mild hearing loss was the most common degree of hearing loss, but many men and women in the study also had moderate or severe hearing loss.

CANADIANS OVER 45 OFTEN HAVE VISION LOSS

This same study also examined how many Canadians have some vision loss. They found that vision loss is very common in Canadian adults over the age of 45. In fact, 1.8 million men and 2.2 million women have at least a mild vision loss.

DUAL HEARING AND VISION LOSS

It’s not surprising that vision and hearing loss can appear together. Both vision and hearing loss become more common with age. The study found that 570,000 men and 450,000 women have both hearing and vision loss.

Types of Hearing Loss

There are several types of hearing loss that affect adults over 45.

SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS

This is the most common hearing loss. Both age-related hearing loss and noise-induced hearing loss are types of sensorineural hearing loss. This hearing loss is caused by damage to the cells in the inner ear.

The inner ear, or cochlear, is filled with fluid. Floating in the fluid are tiny hair cells called cilia. When sound waves move the fluid in the ear, these hair cells also move. These cells translate that movement into electrical signals and send them to the brain, where the auditory regions of the brain interpret the signals as sound.

However, these cells are very fragile and easily damaged. Loud noise, changes in blood flow, and even aging can damage these cells. Once the cells are damaged, they stop sending signals to the brain and you experience hearing loss.

CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS

Conductive hearing loss is caused by damage to the middle ear or ear canal. This type of hearing loss can be caused by an illness such as an ear infection. It can also be caused by an injury that damages the ear, a bone malformation, or tumor growth.

Even a buildup of earwax in the ear canal can make it harder for soundwaves to reach the inner ear, causing conductive hearing loss.

Getting a Hearing Test

If you’re over 45 and you think you may have hearing loss, we can help! Visit The Ear Clinic for a hearing test and learn more about your hearing. During a hearing test, we’ll ask you to wear headphones and play a series of sounds. All you have to do is let us know when you hear a sound. This tells us exactly what sounds you can hear at what volume.

Once you’ve taken the hearing test, we’ll go through your results. They’re displayed on a graph, called an audiogram, that shows you your hearing threshold at each pitch.

Treating Hearing Loss

Does your hearing test indicate that you have hearing loss? Whether you have sensorineural hearing loss or conductive hearing loss, we have the solution. The most common treatment option for hearing loss is hearing aids. These devices amplify the sounds you have a hard time hearing.

But that’s not all they do. Modern hearing aids can also reduce the volume of background noise, help you focus on speech sounds, and make conversations easier to understand.

They also treat tinnitus, and can even connect to your smartphone for effortless streaming.

Don’t let vision or hearing loss hold you back. Visit us today to start your journey to better hearing.