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, 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 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. Hearing aids can help, and there are ways to prevent hearing loss in the first place. 

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." 

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.

You can get a hearing test from an audiologist.

Experts recommend wearing earplugs whenever you're exposed to loud sounds, including concerts, moving the lawn or using power tools.