- How to Get Used to Wearing Hearing Aids - November 8, 2024
- Reducing Slips and Falls for Better Balance with Hearing Aids - October 5, 2024
- Why Maintaining the Cleanliness of Your Hearing Aids is Important - September 10, 2024
Statistics indicate that about 28.8 million U.S. adults may benefit from hearing aids, but unfortunately, people still wait, on average, seven years before finding assistance.
By that time, the hearing of a person would sometimes have diminished to not communicating except in the best circumstances of listening. Untreated loss of hearing can lead to too many health problems that can only be prevented if a patient seeks to support.
Here are some of the common reasons people don’t want to invest in their hearing health – and why they should!
“There’s nothing wrong with my hearing.”
Perhaps this is the most challenging reason to contend with it. An individual with hearing loss must accept that they have an issue before they can earnestly pursue treatment.
For somebody to stick to this view while they have hearing problems, they need someone to help them cope with their hearing loss. Sometimes when a person says that they “can hear perfectly,” what they mean is that their hearing loss does not pose a problem for them as long as their loved ones or caregivers work for them as translators.
If this is your role, try reducing the amount you act as their hearing aid. They will quickly realize just how much they rely on this extra set of ears when the help is removed.
“Hearing aids will make me look past it.”
There was a time when wearing hearing aids held the old age stigma, and people avoided acknowledging their need and seeking support for much too long, thereby exacerbating the problem.
Hearing aids today are not why a person appears old – hearing loss itself does that job very well. Many hearing aids are small, discreet, and full of the latest technologies. From directional microphones to AI technology, there has never been a better time to use a hearing aid.
“Hearing aids cost too much.”
There’s no getting around that hearing aids are a significant financial investment, but it’s better to weigh this against their potential benefits.
Better contact with friends and family and higher productivity at work are just a few benefits that you can enjoy right away.
You could also protect yourself from social anxiety, cognitive impairment, depression, and potentially dementia in the long term. If you’re concerned about paying for something you might not use, ask the hearing professional for a risk-free evaluation to ensure the hearing aid is the right for your needs. An excellent example of this is our Hearing Aid Test Drive.
“My last hearing aid didn’t even work.”
Have you ever used inexpensive or over-the-counter hearing aids? These will not come with the tools you need for an effortless hearing, and it is doubtful they will be adapted to your unique hearing needs.
Many of them are simply amplifiers that make sounds louder without having to hear clearly. You probably don’t think hearing aids work if you have ever used these and had a bad experience.
The best hearing aids reduce background noise, focus on crucial speech sounds, and promote more natural listening. With certain hearing aids, we give risk-free trials. You should be in the driver’s seat when you commit to buying hearing aids, selecting only those that work for you.
“I have other health problems to treat first.”
Often the patient is well aware of hearing impairment, but other health issues seem more significant. It may be another more physically severe condition than hearing loss. The person may intend to deal with the hearing loss after dealing with the more urgent issue.
While this is an understandable point of view, the individual may not realize that hearing loss contributes to other health issues and that addressing hearing loss can help mitigate other problems. An example may be depression or dementia, two disorders that are far more common in people living with untreated hearing loss.
It can be dangerous to ignore questions you may have about your health, and your hearing safety is no different. When you feel the benefits of treatment, any reservations you have about getting your hearing tested will disappear.