May is Speech and Hearing Awareness Month, which is an entire month dedicated to educating the public about the importance of hearing health at every age.
Many people don't realize just how crucial good hearing is to every aspect of daily life, and it's common for younger people to dismiss hearing health as an issue that only effects older adults, but the truth is that maintaining healthy hearing is something that affects people of all ages.
Fast Facts About Hearing Health
According to the World Health Organization, more than 466 million people around the world have hearing loss severe enough to impair their quality of life.
In Canada alone, at least three million adults suffer from hearing impairment, but only one in six people uses any type of hearing aid.
Statistics Canada shares that hearing loss affects men almost twice as much as women, and it can start as early as your late 30s or early 40s.
Why Your Hearing Health is Important
Because it often happens gradually over many years, most people do not realize that they have significantly impaired hearing until it has already begun to affect their mental and physical health.
Hearing loss can lead to embarrassing moments, such as grabbing someone else’s drink in a coffee shop by mistake or answering ‘sure’ when it wasn’t even a yes or no question. It's common for moments like these to cause people with hearing loss to withdraw from social interactions, and this can also be harmful to mental and emotional health.
It's also important to note that poor hearing can lead to balance issues, headaches and increased risk when driving or walking in public.
Listen To the Experts
Moments of miscommunication and mishearing are a part of being human. It happens to all of us from time to time, but if it happens often, it could be a sign of hearing loss. The quick fix? Our free online hearing test.
