Hearing Loss is the invisible disability. Those people who have lost their hearing are often the last   to know about it. Family, friends & co-workers are the first to notice because they experience   difficulty in communicating with the hearing impaired person. 1 in 10 Canadians of all ages & half of   the people over 65 years old have a hearing loss. It is the single largest disability in Canada. It   affects almost 2.5 million Canadians (Canadian Hard of Hearing Association, 2002).   As people are living longer, more & more people are living with hearing loss. Hearing loss   can be caused by aging, noise exposure, illness, chronic ear infections, head injury, tumors,   family history & certain medications.   Hearing loss varies from one person to another. People with hearing loss hear differently. The   environment also   affects how a person hears: background noise, acoustics of the room, & distance   from the speaker. Some people are born with hearing loss. Many lose their hearing as they age.        Hearing Loss might be suspected when a person does not always hear sounds like a phone ringing or    doorbell, turns their ear towards the source of the sound, frequently asks the speakers to repeat    themselves, turns up the TV or radio too loud for others or shows obvious signs of confusion or    misunderstanding of speech.                   If you worked in a noisy environment in Manitoba and now suffer hearing loss, you may     qualify for hearing aids through the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba.           If you are a Veteran, you may be entitled to receive hearing aids for your hearing loss through     Veterans Affairs Canada.     ***Drop by our office for more info***         Obtain a complete audiological evaluation of your hearing, not just a “Hearing Screening”. Many offer “free hearing screenings”,   however it is not a thorough test of your hearing. Obviously, it’s not really free. It is simply a “Gimmick” to get you in the door.   Think about it. Does your eye doctor give free eye exams? Does your dentist give free dental examinations? Reputable hearing   centres do charge for complete Audiological evaluations. It is a professional service provided by audiologists.     Complete evaluations include case history, air conduction, bone conduction,speech tests - speech   reception testing, speech discrimination testing, masking as needed, tympanometry, which is the   measurement & analysis of eardrums & middle ear function & type of hearing loss - sensorineural, mixed   or conductive. If hearing aids are recommended, we will prescribe specific makes, models, & features   to optimize your hearing. If there are any warning signs observed by the Audiologist, they will refer   you to your doctor.   There are some types of hearing loss that do require immediate medical attention. Specific types   of hearing loss can be corrected medically or surgically. An ENT (Ear, Nose & Throat) doctor is a   medical doctor who specializes in Ears. They are also called Otolaryngologist or an otologist.