Biggest Hearing Aid Myths

Everyone copes differently with the realization of needing a hearing aid system. While some are ready to accept the new chapter in their lives that leads to better hearing and a better quality of living, others may be more hesitant due to some common myths/misconceptions, such as:

1. I can’t afford hearing aids. The price of your hearing aid system all depends upon the severity of your hearing loss and your daily environment (if you work in a loud atmosphere, you may need a system with special noise cancellation features and/or speech enhancements). Just as there are a variety of styles, there are also a variety of prices. Plus, your doctor may offer financing on hearing aids that fit your needs but not necessarily your current budget.
2. People will notice I’m wearing a hearing aid. To some, this is embarrassing, as it may be difficult to accept needing assistance with hearing. However, styles in hearing aids have changed drastically over time. One of the most popular styles is a hearing aid that fits directly into the ear canal, making it almost impossible to see from the outside perspective.
3. Hearing aids are useless in loud environments. As mentioned previously, there are certain styles that offer speech enhancement and noise cancellation features, should one often work or in general reside within louder environments.
4. Hearing aids can damage my ears or, even worse, affect my current state of hearing in a negative manner. If installed and cared for in the correct manner, your hearing aids will only aid your hearing, not irritate or damage.
5. Having a hearing aid will only make me feel old. Hearing loss affects those of all ages – from small children to middle aged adults, to those in the elderly community. However, putting off proactive care for your hearing will not improve your quality of living. As stated before, there are many styles available today that are so comfortable and discreet, you will often forget you’re wearing one at all.
6. I only suffer from mild hearing loss; therefore, I don’t really need one. Do not self diagnose your hearing loss and its severity. Contact your audiologist so they can determine if you need a hearing aid. Hearing loss ranges in severity; just because it doesn’t seem as bad as someone else’s does not mean you won’t need help with hearing in the long run.
7. With hearing aids, everything will become too loud and painful/uncomfortable to tolerate. All hearing aids have sound adjustments to fit your level of comfortable hearing. Some adjust automatically, others are remote controlled.
8. I suffer from tinnitus and hearing aids cannot help me with that. There are styles available with tinnitus reduction features; while it does NOT cure tinnitus, it can provide background noises and other features to help decrease some of the effects of tinnitus.
9. I only have hearing loss in one ear, so one hearing aid is all I need. It has been proven through medical studies that while having one hearing aid in the affected ear improves hearing, having an additional one in your “good” ear improves your hearing in an even more significant manner.
10. If I don’t like my hearing aids, it’s too late for me to get a different style. Your audiologist will be more than happy to look into different types of hearing aids with you, should you determine the style you picked originally is not for you. They’re there to help, so reach out if you are experiencing any issues with your model of hearing aids.