Changing the Perceptions - Hearing

January 3, 2022

KSKJ Life Member Benefit Spotlight: Start Hearing/ American Hearing

According to the World Health Organization, over 5% of the world’s population (430 million people) require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss. Treatment of hearing loss is not as common as treating vision impairment. Why is there such a discrepancy in the treatment of two vital senses? One factor could be because vision impairments require immediate attention. Hearing loss can slowly affect your life without you noticing at first. One can cope with hearing loss or work around it, but only for a short period of time.

Here are the 5 perceptions of hearing aids that are no longer true:

1. There is no solution for hearing loss- While there is not treatment for hearing loss, it certainly can be addressed and managed. Amplification with hearing aids is the most common recommendation and effective treatment for hearing loss. Today’s hearing aids, when programmed and fitted by an expert, can help even the hardest of hearing patient hear sounds they might not have otherwise heard.
2. If I needed a hearing aid, my doctor would tell me- Most general practitioners do not test for hearing loss unless requested.
3. Hearing aids are too hard to use- Just like the design of hearing aids have made advancements in the past years, the ease of use has made advances also. There are some that are for those who like advanced features and apps to track, but also there are some are so simple that you just take them off and turn them off.
4. Hearing aids will stand out and make me seem “old”- Today’s hearing aids are much smaller and discreet than those from 5 or 10 years ago. There is also the option of having it hidden in your ear canal.
5. Hearing aids are not worth the money- With all the advancements in the hearing aids made in the past few years, you can now address the quality-of-life issues that are being incurred by untreated hearing loss.