hearing loss in canada: stats, impact and resources
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you can’t reverse hearing loss, but there are things you can do to improve what you hear, which is why it’s important to not just ignore it and let it get worse.
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when you think of hearing loss, you might picture a person who keeps asking you to repeat what you said. this is a common occurrence given how loud many of our environments are, like sports games, restaurants or parties that have a flurry of competing conversations and a musical backdrop. hearing loss really is about missing out on things that can lead to social isolation and serious health problems. it’s often called an invisible condition because others can’t see it, so it can be easily overlooked.
hearing loss means you have a decreased sensitivity to sounds that people normally hear. you can’t reverse hearing loss, but there are things you can do to improve what you hear, which is why it’s important to not just ignore it and let it get worse. it becomes more than an inconvenience, as advocates and healthcare providers emphasize: even mild hearing loss can have serious social, health and economic consequences.
hearing loss stats in canada
one out of 10 canadians, about four million people, have hearing loss, including six out of every 1,000 children. while it can be hereditary, nine out of 10 children with hearing loss are born to hearing parents. other causes of hearing loss include aging, chronic disease, medication, loud noise and trauma from a brain injury.
according to the national non-profit canadian hard of hearing association, hearing loss is one of the fastest-growing health crises in canada. the canadian health measures survey published in 2016 revealed that 19 per cent of canadians experience a significant hearing loss that interferes with their ability to hear speech. an estimated 4.3 per cent of children aged six to19 have some degree of hearing loss. while rates of hearing loss are rising across the board, younger people aged 12 to 35 are considered at higher risk because of increased exposure to loud environments, something that also concerns people in military and construction work.
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what about headphones and earbuds that are ubiquitous these days? the aged 12 to 35 group is also prone to noise-induced hearing loss because of the frequent use of these devices. many people wear headphones to focus or simply drown out other sounds and turn the volume up as external sounds get louder. every time ears are exposed to dangerously loud noise, the small hair-like cells along the inner ear called cilia are irreparably damaged. experts recommend active noise-canceling headphones that monitor sounds around you and generate sound waves that cancel out the external noise.
tinnitus, a persistent ringing or buzzing in the ear, is an indicator of ear damage and tends to be diagnosed in people over 50. the condition doesn’t cause hearing loss, but can be a warning sign of hearing loss to come. over half of the adolescents surveyed in a 2016 mcmaster university study had experienced tinnitus and reported feeling symptoms after listening to loud music.
statistics canada reports that hypertension, or high blood pressure, and the medications that treat the condition have been linked to the development of hearing loss and tinnitus. over one in five adults have hypertension. hearing health problems are more prevalent among adults with hypertension (79 per cent) than among those without hypertension (54 per cent). “when age, sociodemographic, health-related and noise exposure variables are taken into account, the odds of hearing health problems are 70 per cent higher for men and 60 per cent higher for women with hypertension compared with their counterparts without hypertension.”
other key numbers:
- hearing loss is ranked as the fifth-leading cause of years lived with disability.
- 19 per cent of adults under age 79 experience hearing loss that negatively affects their ability to comprehend speech.
- 11 per cent of adults 65 years and older report a significant hearing problem.
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impact of hearing loss on canadian society
while the prevalence of hearing loss is climbing, a barrier to care is that harm from loud sounds isn’t recognized right away. the cumulative damage can be severe, impacting child development, work, school, social connection and daily activities.
in fact, untreated, disabling hearing loss costs the economy about $25 billion each year. as the canadian audiologist reports, comorbidities of tinnitus alone include a long list: mental health vulnerability, mood disorder, a weak sense of community belonging, high daily stress and sleep of poor quality, all of which increase the economic burden of tinnitus above and beyond hearing loss.
research using the data collected through the 2017 canadian survey on disability revealed that 32 per cent of people with hearing loss were employed compared to 62 per cent of the rest of the population. study authors say that employment rates for persons with a hearing disability are lower than the general population, and employment outcomes are closely associated with general health and digital skills. “lack of certain workplace accommodations may disadvantage individuals with a hearing disability in their employment.”
from the same study, as many as 38 per cent of those with a hearing disability in employment said that they were disadvantaged in their employment because of their hearing loss.
there’s also a call from the hearing loss community for more education around cochlear implants, electronic medical devices that can improve hearing for people with moderate to severe hearing loss. while hearing aids act as an amplifier to make sounds louder, cochlear implants transmit sound signals through electrodes for the brain’s interpretation. the aim is to replace the cochlea, the spiral-shaped organ in the inner ear. the overall estimated number of people who could benefit from cochlear implants in 2019 is 191,736, says the canadian hard of hearing association.
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the number of canadians who have received a cochlear implant is about 13,146 while the number of new cochlear implantation surgeries was 972 in 2019. the association notes that nine in every 10 people who could benefit from a cochlear implant in canada are not going that route, although growth in the elderly population points to the widening gap between cochlear implant provision and demand. also, differing costs and lack of transparency about costs and insurance coverage across the country may also hinder adequate provision.
still, with hearing loss noted as a growing and costly health concern, only around one per cent of the total public funding for health research is spent on hearing loss. as sylvie hébert, professor and program director of the professional masters’s in audiology at université de montréal, writes, “fortunately, enough researchers have—to a variable degree—access to some funding from other sources through local or provincial public agencies, private foundations, and companies. but should canada step up, develop and implement a national hearing health strategy, as called for by the world health organization, a consistent and serious hearing research component should certainly be part of it. with the looming challenge posed by hearing disorders, it is time to open a conversation concerning the opportunity of adding an institute on hearing and communication disorders to the existing canadian institutes of health research structure, so that all researchers working in the hearing field can speak with a united voice.”
resources and support for hearing loss in canada
the leading associations representing hearing loss are:
workshops, hearing tests and support groups are available, helping people to connect with peers and professionals for help.
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