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Many Canadians experience hearing loss and don't know it. Here's how to prevent and treat it

time26-06-2025

  • Health

Many Canadians experience hearing loss and don't know it. Here's how to prevent and treat it

Martha Perusse still remembers the day two decades ago when she wore hearing aids for the first time, at the age of 48. I picked them up and went right back to work. I was walking around the building and I thought, 'This has to be wrong,' said Perusse, 69, who lives in Montreal and is a peer mentor for Hear Quebec (new window) , a non-profit that provides programs and services to those affected by hearing loss. She couldn't believe what she was hearing with the new devices: a hum from the overhead lights; her pants rubbing together on her legs; people in faraway offices talking on the phone. Perusse is among the 37 per cent of Canadian adults (new window) who have hearing loss. Many more Canadians over age 40 have high-frequency hearing loss and aren't aware of it. Experts say that losing your hearing and not getting that loss treated can lead to social isolation, loneliness and even cognitive decline (new window) . Hearing aids can help, and there are ways to prevent hearing loss in the first place. Hearing loss can lead to social isolation Untreated hearing loss can lead to relationship issues and social isolation — a major problem for older adults, said Dr. Paul Mick, an otolaryngologist and associate professor at the University of Saskatchewan. They may avoid social situations because they're having a hard time understanding what people are saying and they find that very embarrassing. Perusse has seen that happen first-hand to the people she mentors through Hear Quebec. It's amazing how many times people just drop off their friendships because they don't understand them and they find it too frustrating, Perusse said. It's really important to preserve your brain and preserve the relationships that you have. How to protect your hearing It's essential for adults over the age of 30 to check their hearing every few years, and more frequently once you hit 50, according to audiologist Emma LeBlanc, co-owner of the Munk Hearing Centre clinics at Toronto General Hospital. Just like we go to the dentist routinely, just like we go to the eye doctor routinely, we really should be checking our hearing, LeBlanc told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of CBC's The Dose (new window) . The sooner you start wearing hearing aids after hearing loss, the easier it will be to adapt to them, experts say. (Iurii Chornysh/Shutterstock) Photo: (Iurii Chornysh/Shutterstock) You can get a hearing test from an audiologist (new window) . Experts recommend wearing earplugs whenever you're exposed to loud sounds, including concerts, mowing the lawn or using power tools. Those can range from simple foam earplugs from the drugstore to custom-made earplugs designed for musicians, said LeBlanc. Listening to music at high volumes can lead to hearing loss, and experts recommend using an app to limit the volume (new window) on your phone. Noise-cancelling headphones can also prevent unsafe listening, said LeBlanc, so that you don't need to turn your music up to compensate for a noisy environment such as a bus or subway. That workout could protect your hearing Regular exercise could also help your hearing. Hearing isn't a passive physiological process. It's actually highly metabolic. The inner ear is sort of like a battery that's constantly recharging itself, said Mick. The inner ear converts sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain, explained Mick, a process that takes a lot of energy. There's a lot of blood flow through the inner ear. So anything that affects cardiovascular health, it's likely going to affect the inner ear, said Mick, who has done research into the association between cardiovascular risk factors and hearing. Studies have shown that people with heart disease are more likely to experience greater rates of hearing loss (new window) . Adapting to hearing aids It took Perusse a few months to get used to her hearing aids. For some of the people she mentors who are new to hearing aids, she said it can can take longer to adjust. There's a definite reluctance from some people to admit they have hearing loss, said Perusse — or to wear their hearing aids if they have them. That's the danger, I think, of not getting hearing aids — is that your world just gets quieter and quieter, she said. WATCH / What would it take for over-the-counter hearing aids to come to Canada? Début du widget Widget. Passer le widget ? Fin du widget Widget. Retourner au début du widget ? What over-the-counter hearing aids in the U.S. could mean for Canadians Hearing aids are now available south of the border in such stores as Best Buy and WalMart for as little as $200 US per pair. Experts say the sooner you start wearing hearing aids after losing your hearing, the easier it will be to adapt to them. Hearing aids are not like glasses, so you don't just put them on and go about your business, said LeBlanc. If you're in a group setting, the hearing aids are going to increase the volume of everything. And so we're really working with your brain with hearing aids, she said. The more people wear their hearing aid, the more they get used to their hearing aid, the more successful they are going to be long-term in these more complex environments. There are different kinds of hearing aids — depending on the type of hearing loss and people's esthetic preferences — including ones with a piece that goes behind the ear, and others that fit only within the ear itself. 'Life can be so much easier' Though hearing loss is more common in older adults, more than one billion young people (new window) between ages 12 and 34 are at risk for hearing loss because of unsafe listening practices, according to the World Health Organizarion. (new window) Those practices include spending time in loud bars or clubs, and listening to music too loudly on your phone. Ashley Mayoff, 25, serves as the young adult representative on the board of Hear Quebec, and understands the struggles of young people with hearing loss. Growing up, we're just taught that we need to be ashamed of it and it's something that we have to hide, said Mayoff, who was born with hearing loss in both ears. Mayoff has worn hearing aids all her life and for the past 10 years has had two bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA). A BAHA, a type of hearing aid that conducts sound by vibration through the skull, is attached to a small post surgically placed behind the ear. Mayoff's advice to other young people with hearing loss? Get the treatment you need and access the services that are available. Life can be so much easier. It doesn't have to be so hard, where you can't hear and you struggle and you feel alone, said Mayoff. The inner ear converts sound energy into electrical signals that travel to the brain, explained Mick, a process that takes a lot of energy. There's a lot of blood flow through the inner ear. So anything that affects cardiovascular health, it's likely going to affect the inner ear, said Mick, who has done research into the association between cardiovascular risk factors and hearing. Studies have shown that people with heart disease are more likely to experience greater rates of hearing loss (new window) . Isabelle Gallant (new window) · CBC News

Seasonal allergies are getting worse, but newer medications could offer relief
Seasonal allergies are getting worse, but newer medications could offer relief

CBC

time17-05-2025

  • Health
  • CBC

Seasonal allergies are getting worse, but newer medications could offer relief

Most people with seasonal allergies have likely noticed an uncomfortable trend over the past few years. In parts of Canada, allergy season not only seems to be lasting longer, it seems to be more intense. Experts like Dr. Anne Ellis, chair of the department of allergy and immunology at Queen's University, say the roughly one in five Canadians who experience respiratory allergies aren't imagining things. The past few years have brought some seasons with a lot more pollen than Canadians are used to, she told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose podcast. "Definitely last year's birch pollen season, and it looks like this year is going to be a doozy as well, has certainly been higher than we've seen in the last 10 years," said Ellis. Thankfully, newer medications and treatments, including allergy tablets that dissolve under the tongue, are offering seasonal sufferers more relief. What are seasonal allergies? Allergic rhinitis, the more technical term for seasonal allergies, is the body's response to stimuli like ragweed, pollen, dust and mould. Typical allergy symptoms include a runny nose, itchy or watery eyes, as well as coughing and sneezing. Allergy seasons vary slightly across Canada, says Ellis, adding that allergy seasons in Ontario and Quebec are among the worst in the country. "We have nice, robust summers with lots of trees and lots of pollen, but importantly also ragweed," she said. "Come late summer, early fall, we tend to get the biggest hits in terms of seasonal allergies across the country." Dr. Angeliki Barlas, president of the B.C. Society of Allergy and Immunology, grew up in Saskatchewan and says that she found her seasonal allergies were worse in the prairies than in B.C. But for some of her patients it's the opposite. "There's different allergens across the country, so it affects everybody differently," she said. While ragweed is more common in eastern Canada, Ellis said western provinces get a longer tree pollen season instead. Why are seasonal allergies getting worse? Experts agree that climate change is the primary driver for worsening conditions across Canada. "That spring to summer shift has gotten much shorter," said Ellis. "It just means that it changes how trees pollinate, it changes when the seasons start and stop, and leads to things being different than they were 20 years ago." In Ontario, Ellis says allergy season used to start around May with pollen, and last into July with a slight reprieve before ragweed season kicked in from around mid-August until the end of autumn. Now, however, pollen allergies begin when the weather warms up and continue until it starts to snow. WATCH | How to manage seasonal allergies this spring: How to manage seasonal allergies this spring 3 days ago Duration 2:52 Warmer temperatures overall mean plants produce more pollen, says Barlas. Plus, it takes smaller amounts of pollen to cause symptoms. Ellis says there's some evidence that suggests increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere lead to more allergenic and robust pollen. Additionally, the long-standing practice of planting male trees in urban areas has exacerbated seasonal allergies, says Ellis. Female trees bear fruit that creates mess when it drops on sidewalks and in parks, while male trees produce pollen. "So we're getting more allergens in the air because of some of those city planning decisions," Ellis said. The future of allergy relief? Over-the-counter antihistamines and nasal sprays can offer temporary relief for seasonal allergies. But allergy shots and sublingual tablets that dissolve under the tongue are longer-lasting immunotherapy solutions, says Barlas. "You are desensitizing the body to the allergen and you become less allergic — about 30 to 50 per cent less symptoms." Most people who suffer from seasonal allergies have likely heard about immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots. Allergy shots can be given year round, and usually consist of six months of weekly injections to help build-up resistance to the problem allergen, followed by monthly maintenance shots for the rest of the year. Most allergists start their patients on seasonal allergy shots in the fall when pollen counts are typically lower, says Ellis, so that by the time tree pollen season starts in March or April, they only need their monthly maintenance shots. WATCH | Your allergies are about to get worse: Your allergies are about to get worse 8 days ago Duration 3:05 In contrast, Ellis says sublingual tablets are taken every day during allergy season, until the first frost, when allergens typically subside, and resume once allergy season starts again. Ellis acknowledges that allergy shots can be cumbersome for many patients. "I definitely am prescribing much more immunotherapy in total, but particularly I'd say at least half of my practice has switched to tablets as opposed to injections," said Ellis. Immunotherapies can only be provided by a certified allergist, and treatment can last anywhere from three to five years, though some patients may need to keep receiving allergy shots to keep their symptoms at bay. Allergy shots are available for a wide range of allergens, but you can only get sublingual tablets for grass and tree pollen, dust mites and ragweed. Additionally, a medication used to treat allergic asthma is now receiving attention for its seasonal allergy-fighting potential. Xolair is the generic name for the omalizumab, a lab-made protein that mimics the body's ability to fight off harmful antigens. It works by targeting IgE, an antibody responsible for allergic reactions, says Ellis. Xolair isn't currently used to treat allergic rhinitis, but Ellis's patients who take the drug for allergic asthma have noticed improvements in their hay fever symptoms. In the U.S. it's also used for food allergies, but isn't yet prescribed for that use in Canada, says Ellis. A 2022 retrospective cohort study looking at Xolair's effects on seasonal allergies found that taking the drug before allergy season "could significantly relieve … related symptoms and reduce medication use." However, that study only looked at the medical records of 64 patients. Another small study in 2024 that examined its effects on seasonal cedar allergies in Japan, also suggested Xolair can be used to treat allergic rhinitis. Antihistamines, environmental control are still options too While more research is conducted on the future of seasonal allergy treatments, Ellis and Barlas say that existing over-the-counter and prescription antihistamines are still relatively effective. And Barlas says there's no single best treatment option. "Sometimes you have to do trial and error with different patients in terms of medications," she said. Nonetheless, experts recommend using some of the newer over-the-counter antihistamines, like cetirizine and loratadine. "We're trying to move away from first-generation or sedating antihistamines like diphenhydramine, which has a lot of side effects," said Ellis, adding that these medications can cause issues like delirium and other cognitive difficulties. Stronger prescription antihistamines, like bilastine and rupatadine are also good options. When it comes to nasal sprays, Ellis recommends inserting the spray into the nasal passages and pointing the nozzle toward the ear, rather than spraying straight up the nose. "Don't put it into the middle of your nose, because, one, the medication isn't getting where it needs to, and, two, you're more likely to have side effects like nosebleeds, nasal dryness and headaches," said Ellis. Some research suggests there are "uncommon side effects," including gastrointestinal issues, fatigue, dizziness and confusion. But Ellis says taking antihistamines every day doesn't usually cause long-term harm, and nor do they really lose their effectiveness if taken every day for many years. "Sometimes patients have reported to me that they feel like it's not working anymore," she said. "Chances are good that means you need to move on to something beyond an antihistamine, but certainly it's safe to take an antihistamine on a daily basis all the way through the year if you need to." Ellis adds that neti pots or other saline sinus rinses are a good non-pharmacological options for patients looking to avoid medication by cleaning the nasal passages of allergens instead.

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