What comes to mind when you first think of hearing aids? That they’re bulky and ugly? That they’re only used by seniors? These are some of the common misconceptions that have proliferated mostly unchallenged, but they are far from the truth.
We’ll go over some of the most common myths regarding hearing health and hearing aids to show how unfounded they really are.
While it is true that the majority of people suffering from hearing loss are in their later years of life, by no means does this translate to it being an insignificant number of younger people who also suffer.
A Statistics Canada study found that at least 9% of the population aged between 20 and 39 had measurable levels of hearing loss. Between 40 and 49, that number shoots up to 27%.
This is no trivial number, as it means if you’re in your forties, you have 1 in 4 odds of having some level of hearing loss.
This is a stereotype that is attached to the use of hearing aids and can be hard to shake, especially for those considering using them for the first time. But this stereotype is outdated and untrue, as hearing aid technology has advanced to the point where the vast majority of hearing aids on the market are quite discreet – if not almost invisible.
Odds are, if you don’t have hearing aids, you might end up being seen as old because you constantly have to ask people to repeat themselves.
The idea that hearing aids only serve to amplify sound is a common one, but it is far from the truth.
Modern hearing aids are programmed and customized to focus on the specific hearing issues of each user. Hearing damage can often be limited to a higher or lower frequency, and modern hearing aids can target that specific range without boosting others.
Digital hearing aids can also be great for purposely blocking out background noises, allowing you to effectively hear what you want to hear.
Even if your hearing issues are concentrated in one ear, having two hearing aids working in concert can improve your overall ability to understand your surroundings.
Your ears work together to help determine where in your environment sounds are coming from, as well as to help you concentrate on a specific source in a noisy environment.
Wearing only one hearing aid means your ears won’t be effectively working together, possibly limiting their overall capability. Our binaural (two-eared) hearing ability goes a long way in keeping our hearing healthy, which is why it is often better to use two hearing aids.
While this may be true, it is far from a rational reason to ignore it! Our systems degrade over time, but there are numerous preventative measures that can be put in place to limit the degradation.
Just like working out can keep your body fit, wearing hearing aids can keep your ears fit and functioning. While not a cure for hearing loss, hearing aids can help limit the effects and even slow them down.
A big part of hearing loss is tied to our brains losing their ability to properly decipher sounds due to an extended lack of proper input. Wearing hearing aids early on in your hearing loss can not only help you hear better, but it can stem the tide of hearing loss by keeping your brain active and healthy.
Though this feels like it should be true, it is quite far from being the case. So many people who get hearing aids started looking into receiving care not because they felt they needed it but because the people around them thought they did.
It’s often family and friends who first notice when our hearing starts to wane, as we increase how often we ask them to repeat themselves or interpret something they say completely wrong. Hearing loss can come on so gradually that we make small adjustments in our lives to compensate without ever really clueing into the underlying issue until our hearing has degraded to a point where it becomes obvious.
Ultimately, you won’t know for sure if your hearing is damaged without having your hearing assessed. You can book a hearing test with one of our audiologists and find out for sure. At Professional Audiology, we want to help improve not only your current hearing ability but also help keep your hearing healthy over time.
Visit Professional Audiology Clinic at our central Edmonton or Sherwood Park locations!
Edmonton - Hys Centre
11010-101 Street NW, Unit #107
Sherwood Park – Emerald Hills Office Tower
8005 Emerald Drive, Unit #827 (second floor)
Evening appointments available.