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15 | The IFP -H alton H ills | T hursday,N ovem ber 28,2019 theifp.ca SPONSORED cONtENt HEARINGLIFE Whenmost people think of hearing loss, theylikely imagine someone elderly. While it is truethat most people experience some hearingloss as they age, research suggests there's awidespread lack of awareness about hearingdamage among the general public and the waysit can pose additional risks for your overallhealth.Statistics Canada reports that as many as 40per cent of adults ages 20 to 79, or about ninemillion people in this country, have at leastsome hearing loss in one or both ears.An estimated 4.9 million Canadians in thatsame age range, or 19 per cent, have hearingloss that affects their ability to hear normalspeech. Among children and youth ages 6 to 19,some 8 per cent had some hearing loss, while4 per cent of children ages 3 to 5 showed testresponses indicative of potential hearing loss. Most alarming is the fact that approxi-mately 77 per cent of adults with hearing lossdiagnosed by a health-care professional wereunable or unwilling to recognize they had ahearing deficit.HearingLife chief audiologist Jill Price attrib-utes the contradiction to social factors. "It's aninvisible disease," she says. "You can't see it andyou can't feel it." This makes it easy to forgetthat it's even a problem-- or to simply pretendthat it isn't one.There are cultural stigmas attached to hear-ing loss that keep people from acknowledgingthey have a problem or seeking help for it, Pricenotes. "People associate hearing loss with beingold," she says. "We've all seen sitcoms where agrandfather says something silly or funny be-cause he misheard what someone was saying,and then everybody laughs." Between the social stigma and lack ofacknowledgement, something little understoodamong the public is the fact that hearing lossmay be elevating other health risks.For instance, there is a statistically signifi- cant association between hearing loss and de-pression, according to a 2014 study publishedin the Journal of the American Medical Associa-tion Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.The study found that 11 per cent of people withhearing loss showed symptoms of depression,compared to 5 per cent of people who did nothave hearing loss.Similarly, people with diabetes are abouttwice as likely to develop hearing loss, Pricesays. There has also been some correlationreported between hearing loss and dementiaor cognitive ability, but researchers cautionmore work needs to be done in this area beforeanything definitive can be said about this link.And certain types of hearing loss can also be anearly warning sign of cardiovascular disease.When blood flow to the inner ear is impaired, itcan affect hearing, which makes a diagnosis apossible early warning sign of serious and evenpotentially fatal illnesses.It's all the more reason to have your hearingchecked out. You can get a free hearing test atone of over 220 HearingLife locations acrossCanada by calling toll-free 1-844-226-2302.And learn more about healthy hearing athearinglife.ca. Hearing loss can raise health risks Statistics Canada reports that as many as 40 per cent of adults ages 20 to 79 have at least some hearing loss in one or both ears. iStock CanadaActon 31 Mill Street East Call Kim at 1-833-300-3221 Georgetown 324 Guelph Street Call Fanny at 1-833-300-3222 25% OFF the purchase of select hearing aids1 Special Holiday Coupons. If you struggle to hear well, this time of year can leave you feeling overwhelmed and frustrated. That's why we're celebrating the holidays with these limited-time coupon offers.for theHear Holidays L IMITED TIME COUPONS BETTER HEARING IS A GIFT FOR THE FAMILY These holiday coupons expire on December 31st 2019. Call to book your FREE appointment* or book your appointment online at: HearingLife.ca/HolidayCoupons *A comprehensive hearing assessment is provided to adults ages 19 and older at no cost. The results of this assessment will be communicated verbally to you. If you request a copy of the Audiological Report, a fee will apply. [1]This limited-time offer applies to private and ADP sales of select advanced and premium hearing aids and is subject to change without notice. For ADP sales, the discount is after the grant is applied. [2] Reward mile value is non-transferable and depends on select models purchased. Please allow 45 days for Miles to be posted to your Collector Account. [3] Reward mile value is non-transferable and depends on select models purchased. Please allow 45 days for Miles to be posted to your Collector Account. Some conditions apply. Please see clinic for details. Offers not valid in Quebec. Offer expires 12/31/19. ®™ Trademarks of AM Royalties Limited Partnership used under license by LoyaltyOne, Co. and HearingLife Canada Ltd. TRUSTED PARTNER OF Promo Code NSP-WINT-GIFP AIR MILES® when you complete your first FREE hearing test2 REWARD MILES with your purchase of select hearing aids3 25 BONUS 1000