3 common reasons why people don’t like hearing aids
We’ve all known someone who finds it hard to hear in everyday situations. They miss the meaning of what the checkout person says at the supermarket. They misunderstand a question that their spouse asks them. And they fail to hear their name called at the doctor’s surgery.
As a result of their hard of hearing, they avoid going out. They make excuses about why they can’t attend social events. They stay at home and watch TV.
It’s easy to see why they feel that they’re missing out on life.
So why do people avoid treating their hearing loss properly?
Here are a few myths about hearing aids:
- “I’m too embarrassed to wear hearing aids” – Old-style hearing aids were much more noticeable. They often whistled and were only worn by the very old.
- “They don’t work anyway” – It’s true, it takes a skilled hearing care professional to help you select and program the right hearing aid that suits your hearing loss.
- “I’m not old enough for hearing aids” – For most of us, hearing loss naturally deteriorates as we age.
I call these myths because though they persist, these beliefs are not necessarily true.
Hearing aids are smaller than ever
Hearing aid manufacturers have put a lot of time and money into making hearing aids ‘invisible’. They’ve done this to encourage people to actually use the hearing aids they’ve been prescribed – rather than keep them in the bottom drawer, as was common in the past. Today’s hearing aids are like minicomputers. They ‘talk’ to your mobile phone and TV. They blend in with your hair and skin colour.
Most hearing aids are programmed to suit your unique hearing loss
The other major breakthrough with the latest hearing aid technology is in the matching of the hearing aids to your hearing loss. Hearing Care Professionals are trained to program your hearing aids to make the most of the hearing you still have. Many hearing aids are specially designed to focus in on voices over background sounds.
Though it’s true, it can take some time and a few visits to your hearing care clinic to get your hearing aids to work exactly as you want, their flexibility is amazing compared to the older style devices.
We all want to stay as young and healthy as we can
However, many people experience hearing loss from a relatively young age. According to a recent report from the Hearing Care Industry Association (HCIA), noise-induced hearing loss is the main source of preventable hearing loss in adults in Australia. Some noise, especially in the workplace, can cause permanent damage to your hearing and leave you with ‘ringing in the ears’ (known as tinnitus). This damage can happen at any age but is certainly common in people in their 40s and 50s.
So, if you think you might have some trouble hearing, why not get a hearing check?
After all, a hearing loss is much more noticeable than a hearing aid – don’t you agree?
For a free hearing check, call us for an appointment 1300 HEAR SMART (1300 017 732).
Reference: The Social and Economic Cost of Hearing Loss in Australia (June 2017) HCIA http://www.hcia.com.au/hcia-wp/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Social-and-Economic-Cost-of-Hearing-Health-in-Australia_June-2017.pdf