Facts About Hearing Disorders
If
I had a hearing loss, I certainly would know about it.
Not
necessarily. Often a hearing loss develops slowly and subtly.
Our own built-in defenses may make it difficult for us to determine
whether we have a hearing loss or not. Hearing loss is usually
gradual in onset. Many times we adjust and get used to it as
it is happening to us. A simple hearing test would determine
if a hearing loss exists.
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Everyone mumbles when they talk to
me.
Some people do mumble. But if you think ALL people mumble
then it's time to accept it is your hearing and not everyone
else's mumbling.
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Hearing aids will restore my hearing to normal.
Hearing aids are designed
to aid a person's hearing that they still have intact. Hearing
aids cannot restore hearing nor can they cure your hearing problem.
They can help you get the most out of what you have left and are only
part of hearing rehabilitation. Hearing aids may need to be supplemented
by auditory training.
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Hearing
aids totally eliminate distracting background noise
Understanding, especially
in a noisy environment, will vary depending upon each individual's
hearing loss and the hearing instrument they are wearing. Overall
benefit may depend on proper fit, frequency of use, auditory
rehabilitation, the severity of the loss, and the accuracy of the patient
evaluation.
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When
someone is hearing impaired, that just means that sounds aren't
loud enough.
That's just part of it. Perhaps that person may have trouble
hearing in crowds or in group conversations. Perhaps they hear
but don't always understand what is being said. Words may seem to be
mumbled or words just run together. These are but a few symptoms.
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Hearing aids are
large and ugly.
Most people therefore don't want to wear them. Most
people aren't aware of the latest technological advances that have
been made in hearing aids. For many, "completely
in the canal" hearing
aids are appropriate and are amazingly small and discreet. They're
so technically advanced that they have made most old-fashioned
hearing aids obsolete.
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Wearing a hearing aid is a sign you're
getting old.
Although hearing loss is more common in older adults,
many middle age and younger people are affected as well. There
are many determining factors beyond just age. Statistics indicate
that of the 28 million people with hearing loss in the United
States there are close to 8 million people in the United States
between the ages of 18 and 44 with hearing loss, and more than
one million are school age. Remember, a hearing loss is more noticeable
than a hearing aid.
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I've heard that my type of hearing loss can't be helped.
Nearly
95% of individuals with hearing loss can be helped through amplification.
Now there is hope for those who have been told they couldn't
be helped. New technologies emerge every year, so you may now
be able to be helped when just a few years ago you were told
you couldn't. Examples include people with loss in one ear, people
with "nerve
deafness" or "nerve
damage", or individuals with high frequency loss.
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If I had a hearing
loss, my physician would have told me.
This may not be the case.
Only 16% of physicians routinely screen for hearing loss during
a physical. And since most visits are in the quiet of an office
visit, it may be virtually impossible for your doctor to recognize
your difficulty with hearing.
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It is too expensive to get a really good hearing
aid.
The very best digital hearing aids available are now even
more affordable as a result of HearingPlanet.
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Types of hearing loss
Additional information about hearing aids
