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Stigma Around Using Hearing Aids Subsiding

Man feeling more confident about wearing his hearing aids at work now that stigma around hearing aids is waning.

In the past, hearing aids have had a stigma. Some people simply correlate them with aging. What is the result?

Countless people of all ages put themselves at risk from numerous health concerns because they forgo getting hearing aids and choose to deal with hearing loss. This is reinforced by the numbers: 30 million people in the United States dealing with hearing loss, yet only around 15 percent of that population has ever worn a hearing aid.

What’s more, younger people are suffering from hearing loss in higher numbers than ever before: a WHO report from 2015 predicted that 1.1 billion teens and young adults would damage their hearing irreparably due to excessive use of headphones and extremely loud music festivals.

However, developing technology and shifting perceptions have begun to frame hearing aids in a new light, and people are starting to view them in a similar way they look at eye-glasses.

Why Should You Wear Hearing Aids

There are a lots of reasons why wearing hearing aids is a smart idea, some of them obvious and some of them surprising.

Here are several of the most common reasons:

  • You can minimize tinnitus symptoms
  • You’ll give your brain a rest
  • You won’t have as hard a time having conversations
  • You’ll raise your earning power
  • You can enjoy social activities and settings again
  • One of the obvious factors is that you will be able to hear better
  • You can listen to television and music at normal volumes

Are these reasons sounding beneficial to you? Even someone with slight hearing loss can get some benefit from using hearing aids.

What many people don’t know is that hearing loss is connected to cognitive decline, mental health problems, and conditions such as Alzheimers disease and dementia.

This might occur for a number of different reasons based on research, this includes the overworking of the brain as it battles to comprehend sounds that it hears. It might be that the brain cells don’t get enough activation so they shrink and die, or it could be because of the leading cause of depression, anxiety, and other mental health problems which is social isolation.

By letting you hear words and sounds around you more clearly, hearing aids can help lessen these problems. Your brain won’t have to use additional resources and will be capable of processing sounds in a normal way, while you’ll gain the confidence and ability to enjoy social experiences and conversations again.

Technological Developments in Hearing Aids

By now it should be obvious why people of all ages need to use hearing aids if they need them. Now we’re going to tell you about the how; for example, how hearing aid technology has progressed to the point where they’re no longer your grandparents’ hearing aids.

If really want one of those big over the ear hearing aids, you can still get one. They do their task effectively and have progressed to the point where most of them have no problem filtering out background sounds like wind or determining what direction sound is coming from. Conversely, there are more modern versions of hearing aids that are almost unnoticeable, yet contain quite a bit of technology to fit in with today’s digital world.

Do you want to connect your hearing aid to your smartphone, tablet, tv, or even your car’s GPS? Most modern-day hearing aids have Bluetooth technology so you’re in luck. There are even higher-end models keep track of your physical health, stream music, and take calls for you. Smart hearing aids are becoming a must for anybody who has hearing impairment because much like your smartphone or smartwatch, they’re just created to do more. Are you ready to face hearing loss and buy yourself a hearing aid? Contact us to find out what type of hearing aid will be the right one for you.

The site information is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. To receive personalized advice or treatment, schedule an appointment.