 | | |  | People over 30 should get a hearing test every few years, and once you hit 50 you should go once a year, according to audiologist Emma LeBlanc. (Peakstock/Shutterstock)
| Did you know that if you’re over 30, experts say you should start getting regular hearing tests? About 37 per cent of Canadian adults have hearing loss and many more Canadians over age 40 have high-frequency hearing loss and aren't aware of it.
Martha Perusse's experience highlights this common issue many Canadians face. Twenty years ago, at 48, Perusse received her first hearing aids and was astounded by the everyday sounds she had been missing, such as the hum of lights and distant conversations. Perusse is now a peer mentor for Hear Quebec, a non-profit that provides programs and services to those affected by hearing loss.
Experts say hearing tests are often overlooked until it’s too late and warn that untreated hearing loss can lead to social isolation and cognitive decline. Dr. Paul Mick, an otolaryngologist, notes that affected individuals may avoid social interactions due to embarrassment over misunderstanding conversations. Perusse sees this often, observing people withdrawing from friends because of communication challenges.
Audiologist Emma LeBlanc emphasizes the importance of hearing tests, likening them to routine dental or eye exams. She also recommends protective measures like earplugs in loud environments and using noise-canceling headphones to prevent unsafe listening levels. Furthermore, regular exercise can aid hearing health by supporting cardiovascular function, closely linked to auditory health.
You can learn more about this on White Coat, Black Art | | | | | | | | | | | |  | | Baugh still has the copy of an '82 edition of Reader's Digest, which profiled a doctor who would later perform her life-changing surgery. (Submitted by Elisabeth Baugh) | In 1982, Elisabeth Baugh's life after reading an article in Reader's Digest. Born with a rare vascular defect that affected her face, Baugh struggled with her condition, which worsened over the years. Then one day she read about Dr. Ian Munro, a craniofacial surgery pioneer. Realizing Munro was nearby, she sought his help, marking a life-changing experience.
This led to her establishing AboutFace, an organization supporting people with facial differences, in 1985. Baugh's nearly 40-year journey in the charitable sector began with that pivotal Reader's Digest article.
The American parent company announced earlier this month that the Canadian edition would end publication by April. Often seen as a quintessentially Canadian publication, the magazine has held significant cultural importance, shaping personal stories and experiences, including Baugh’s.
More from The Current here. | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Ashley Randele as a child pictured with her 'favourite person in the world' — her father. At the end of his life, she learned he was secretly a fugitive living under an assumed name. (Submitted by Ashley Randele) | Ashley Randele's world turned upside down when she discovered that her father, Thomas Randele, was actually Theodore (Ted) Conrad, a fugitive bank thief who evaded authorities for more than 50 years. The revelation came two years after her father's death.
"I wish there were a bigger word for shocked," the 38-year-old Boston woman told As It Happens. "My dad is not somebody that you ever suspected would keep a secret — let alone a secret this big."
Now, Randele is sharing the astonishing story in her new podcast, My Fugitive Dad. She recalls her father as the man who lovingly made her lunches and attended her school events, emphasizing that people are more than their worst actions. Conrad had stolen $215,000 in 1969 (the equivalent of about $1.8 million US, or $2.4 million Cdn today) and lived a quiet life until confessing to his daughter while watching TV in March 2021.
Read the full story from As it Happens here. | | | | | | | | | | | | | |  | Fifteen books made the Canada Reads 2024 longlist. The theme this year is one book to carry us forward. (CBC Books) | Canada Reads is back! This year, the great Canadian book debate is looking for one book to carry us forward. When we are at a crossroads, when uncertainty is upon us, when we have faced challenges and are ready for the future, how do we know where to go next? This collection of books is about finding the resilience and the hope needed to carry on and keep moving forward.
You can check out the 2024 longlist here.
The debates will take place March 4-7, 2024. The year 2024 marks the 23rd edition of Canada Reads. | | | | | | | | | Share this newsletter | | or subscribe if this was
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