University hearing study seeks participants.

Connect Hearing, with hearing researcher Professor Kathy Pichora-Fuller at the University of Toronto, seeks participants who are over 50 years of age and have never worn hearing aids for a hearing study investigating factors that can influence better hearing. All participants will have a hearing test provided at no charge and if appropriate, the clinician may discuss hearing rehabilitation options including hearing aids. Qualifying participants may also receive a demo of the latest hearing technology. 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 participate in the hearing study? Hearing problems typically result from damage to the ear and researchers have spent decades trying to understand the biology behind hearing loss. More importantly, researchers now realize the need to better understand how hearing loss affects your everyday life*. In this new hearing study, Professor Pichora-Fuller and her team are trying to find out how people learn to live with hearing loss and how new solutions could help these people take action sooner and live life more fully. It is estimated that 46% of people aged 45 to 87 have some degree of hearing loss1, but most do not seek treatment right away. In fact, the average person with hearing loss will wait ten years before seeking help2. 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. 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. By studying people who have difficulty hearing in noise or with television, we hope to identify key factors impacting these difficulties and further understand their influence on the treatment process.