Hearing loss ‘epidemic’ in Canada

15-12-08

Reduced hearing is reaching epidemic proportions. Hearing loss diagnosed at younger ages than ever before.

People are starting to lose their hearing 20 years earlier than in the past, stated Heather Ferguson, President of the Hearing Foundation of Canada in Toronto, to CBC. I believe we’re on the verge of noise induced hearing loss becoming a public health problem.

The disconcerting trend is caused by the generally higher noise levels in today’s society. An earlier Canadian study found that 25 percent of people with hearing loss are younger than 40 years of age, and 70 percent are younger than 60 years. Hearing loss used to be associated with old age. Today, according to the study, the average age of people with hearing loss is 51 years.

Everybody at risk for hearing loss

The trend towards hearing loss in younger people manifested itself among young adults, as well. 16 percent of children and adolescents ages 6-19 showed early signs of hearing loss, according to the study. This illustrates the importance of protecting the hearing of children and everybody else with earplugs and other hearing protection, when appropriate, pointed out Ian Murray, a hearing aid specialist at the Robillard hearing aid Centers in Ottawa, on CBC.

Heather Ferguson added, that there seems to be a disconnect between what we now know and how we behave. When science has proven that too much noise is damaging to our hearing we should all use earplugs when attending concerts. We often see the musicians using earplugs, but hardly ever anyone in the audience taking any precaution.

http://www.cbc.ca/