Hearing is the most social of all our senses, and hearing well is vital to communication and
fostering good healthy relationships.
Hearing loss is the third most common chronic condition in older adults, and the most
widespread disability. Statistics Canada* estimates that 54% of Canadians aged 40 to 79 years
(over eight million) have at least mild hearing loss in the high-frequency range.
Social and health consequences associated with diminished hearing include embarrassment,
fatigue, anxiety, depression, social isolation, falls, cognitive decline and dementia – that is, a
significantly reduced quality of life. A landmark study published in The Lancet in 2020 found
that untreated hearing loss is the number one modifiable risk for developing dementia.
Some common but often underappreciated signs of age-related hearing loss are:
Difficulty hearing conversations well in noisy or crowded rooms
Other people seeming to mumble or speak too softly
Having to often ask people to repeat themselves
Finding it difficult to understand a person talking from another room or floor
Finding oneself having to lip-read to understand conversation
Having to turn up the volume of the TV or radio
Hearing loss tends to happen gradually as we age – sometimes so slowly that the person with
hearing loss may not even realize how much they are missing. Often, it is family members who
first to notice the signs of hearing loss and the communication challenges on the family.
The first step to treating hearing loss is a hearing test. Hearing Well Matters is now offering
complimentary hearing tests to seniors in Burlington. We have two state-of-the-art testing
suites at our clinic, which makes it easy to book an appointment at the same time for a couple.
If you recognize any of the above signs of possible hearing loss, and would like to book a free
hearing test with your spouse, a parent or a grandparent, please call us at 905-681-HEAR
(4327), or email us at [email protected].
It could be a very thoughtful Holiday gift for your spouse or family member!
* Statistics Canada Health Reports, August 2019, Ramage-Morin L., Banks R., Pineault D., Atrach M.,
https://www.doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x201900800002-eng
573 Maple Avenue Unit #4
