Major University hearing study seeks participants.
Connect Hearing, with a leading hearing researcher at Ryerson University, seeks participants for a hearing study investigating the factors that can influence better hearing. All participants will have a hearing test provided at no charge. The data collected from this study will be used to further our understanding of hearing loss and improve life-changing hearing healthcare across Canada.
Why Research Hearing Loss?
Deep inside our ears are several thousand microscopic “hair cells.” These cells are arranged in rows and each cell is responsible for hearing a specific pitch, similar to the keys on a piano. As we age, some of these cells become damaged… from loud noises, chronic conditions, or the process of aging itself. Just like a piano with damaged keys, an ear with damaged hair cells will make things sound muffled and distorted. For some people this loss of clarity is only a problem at noisy restaurants or in the car, but for others it makes listening a struggle throughout the entire day. It is estimated that 46% of people aged 45 to 87 have some degree of hearing loss,1 but most do not seek treatment right away. In fact, the average person with hearing loss will wait ten years before seeking help.2 This is because at the beginning stages of hearing loss people often find they can “get by” without help, however as the problem worsens this becomes increasingly harder to do. By studying those people having difficulty in noise or with television, we hope to identify key factors impacting these difficulties and further understand their influence on the treatment process.
Interested people can register to be a part of this lifechanging hearing study* by calling: 1.888.242.4892 or visiting connecthearing.ca/hearing-study.
1. Cruickshanks, K. L., Wiley, T. L., Tweed, T. S., Klein, B. E. K., Klein, R, Mares-Perlman, J. A., & Nondahl, D. M. (1998). Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Older Adults in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin: The Epidemiology of Hearing Loss Study. Am. J. Epidemiol. 148 (9), 879-886. 2. National Institutes of Health. (2010).