Common Hearing Aid Fears

Untreated hearing loss can increase your risk of developing a number of physical and mental health conditions. Even with these well publicized connections, most people wait an average of 10 years before seeking treatment. Experts think this may be because of the following five fears many associate with the use of hearing aids.

Looking Old

One of the main causes of hearing loss is aging, so it is easy to associate wearing a hearing aid with being old. But these common symptoms of untreated hearing loss will make you look much older than a small device sitting behind your ear:

• Asking people to repeat what they just said
• Turning the volume up too high on the television
• Answering incorrectly because you didn’t hear the question clearly

There are a number of styles of devices to choose from. If you are still self-conscious about the idea of wearing a hearing aid, you can consider a model that sits completely in the ear canal and is practically invisible.

Going to the Doctor

The fear of going to the doctor stems from being scared of hearing bad news or that the tests needed to get a diagnosis will be painful or uncomfortable.

Neither of these are true when visiting an audiologist. For starters, after living with untreated hearing loss for years, the news that you have hearing loss won’t be much of a shock. In order to determine your exact type and degree of loss, your audiologist will review your medical history and complete a series of quick, simple and painless tests.

Being Able to Afford the Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are complex electronic devices with a price tag to match. But there are a number of financial options available to help you afford this life changing treatment, including:

• Financing with small monthly payments
• Veteran’s Administration hearing benefits
• Vocational rehabilitation programs
• Social service organizations

The Hearing Aids Won’t Work

With the technological advances of modern hearing aids, today’s devices have improved significantly from the ones your parents or grandparents wore. Newer devices are able to distinguish speech from background noise and wirelessly connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone and other enabled devices.

Losing the Hearing Aids

This is a valid concern, as we all misplace our keys or glasses from time to time. If you incorporate your hearing aids into your morning and evening routine, you are less likely to take them out of your ears and place them somewhere you shouldn’t.

For extra security, contact your insurance agent to see about adding your hearing aids to your personal property insurance.

To learn more about the benefits of treating your hearing loss or to schedule an appointment, contact the experts at The Audiology Offices.