In the past, many people with hearing loss in one ear, with a high frequency hearing loss, or with nerve damage have all been told they cannot be helped, often by their family practice physician. This might have been true many years ago, but with modern advances in technology, nearly 95% of people with a sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss CAN be helped with hearing aids.
2. My hearing loss is normal for my age.
Isn't this a strange way to look at things? But do you realize that well-meaning doctors tell this to their patients every day? It happens to be "normal" for overweight people to have high blood pressure, but that doesn't mean they should not receive treatment for the problem. Yes, hearing loss can be common as we age, but it shouldn't be ignored.
3. Hearing aids will make me look older and handicapped.
Looking older is clearly more affected by almost all other factors besides hearing aids. It is not the hearing aids that make one look older, it is what one may believe they imply. If hearing aids help you function like a normal hearing person, for all intents and purposes, the stigma is removed. Hearing aid manufacturers are well aware that cosmetics is an issue to many people, and that's why today we have hearing aids that are extremely tiny, and some that fit totally in the ear canal. But more importantly, keep in mind that "a hearing loss is more obvious than a hearing aid." Smiling and nodding your head when you don't understand what's being said makes your condition more apparent than the largest hearing aid.
Information obtained from The Better Hearing Institute
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