Did you know that May is Speech and Hearing Awareness Month in Canada? The objective is to raise awareness of the challenges a person with difficulties communicating can experience in their daily life. The Clinique Auditive Bougie’s team therefore thought that this was a great opportunity to invite you to take stock of your hearing health and we have put together a short questionnaire for you. Simple and effective, these five questions are intended to help you become aware of the difficulties that you or a loved one may be experiencing.

1. Do you have trouble carrying on a conversation in public places such as a restaurant or the grocery store?

o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

Do you find that ambient noises camouflage the speech of people you’re speaking with in public places? It's one of the first signs of hearing loss, but what does it mean? Rather than hearing the person talking to you, all your attention is diverted to the employees’ placing dishes, for example. When our hearing is healthy, it is much easier to ignore ambient sounds and focus on the person speaking to us.

2. Do you have difficulties hearing the person you’re speaking with over the phone?

o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

Since wearing a mask became mandatory, you may have noticed we make people repeat more.  Which makes us realize our tendency to read lips, without being too aware of it. Unfortunately, over the phone, this is just not possible. Videoconferencing is a great alternative, but phone calls are still necessary in order to take our appointments, check our messages and for several other services. Many numbers and letters sound the same over the phone, and mixing letters and numbers can bring a lot of complications and inconvenience.

3. Do you find it easier to understand low-pitched voices rather than high-pitched voices?

o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

Whether due to age or prolonged exposure to noise, you may notice over time difficulties perceiving high-pitched sounds. It may be that when a woman with a high tone of voice or a young child speaks to you, they are more difficult to hear. In case of hearing loss, it is indeed very often the higher notes that are the most difficult to hear. This is also why younger people can sometimes perceive high frequency electronic sounds.

4. Have you ever been told that you turn up the sound on the television too much?

o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

Have you ever noticed that very often, if you turn on your television in the morning, the sound seems way too loud? Our ears being subjected to a multitude of noises during the day, it becomes increasingly more difficult to properly perceive different sounds, whereas after a good night's sleep, our ears have had a chance to rest. However, it’s possible that if you are having difficulty hearing, you’ll have to turn up the sound on your TV in order to hear all the dialogue, and this is usually a good indication that something is wrong.

5. Do you often make the people you converse with repeat themselves?

o Never
o Sometimes
o Often

Chances are you know someone is talking to you, but you're having a hard time understanding everything that person is saying. These difficulties cause you to concentrate much more than normal and require a lot more energy. Isolation is one of the major risks of not treating hearing loss since maintaining a discussion becomes more and more difficult and exhausting. Socializing is an important vehicle for keeping your mind and sense of humor sharp.

You answered “Never” to all five questions:
Congratulations, your hearing health is very good! However, don’t forget that, as your sight should be checked every year, it is advisable to have your hearing tested at the first signs of hearing difficulty or even annually from the age of 50.

You answered “Sometimes” to at least one question:
There is absolutely no discomfort in perceiving the first signs of hearing loss. Many reasons can explain this: your job, your age, also your exposure to noise.

You answered “Often” to at least one question:
No need to panic! No one is saying you have a hearing problem, but a qualified hearing aid specialist can do a hearing screening, explain your results and make the appropriate recommendations if necessary. A little mouse whispered to us that it could be beneficial for you to make an appointment, without delay, and have your hearing evaluated.