There are a lot of myths circulating on the internet about hearing health, hearing aids and the use of hearing aids. The information presented here will help you cut through the misinformation so that you can better understand your hearing health.
MYTH: “My Hearing Hasn’t Changed"
FACT: Hearing loss rarely occurs all at once or in a short enough period of time to be obvious. Typically hearing loss occurs at a slow rate over many years and is not detected until it becomes severe enough to be obvious. That’s why many people believe there’s been no change in their hearing over several years. They fully believe they can hear normally because their perception of normal from one day to the next is the same. Quite often is the people around us that notice of the most and pointed out us.
So, while you may not notice your hearing loss after years of imperceptible incremental damage to your hearing, if you could just compare your hearing as it stands today to how was five years ago the difference would be truly obvious. A professional hearing tests and evaluation will show what your actual hearing range is a scientifically reproducible manner.
MYTH: Hearing Aids Are For Old People
FACT: Today there are more hearing-impaired people in the 45-64 year-old age category than there are in the over 65 age group. In fact, 60% of people who may benefit from hearing aids are still of working age.
More than a third of all hearing deficiencies are attributed to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) caused by loud music, loud workplaces, loud recreational equipment and activities. Due to NIHL, variations in our hearing are occurring at a much younger age.
MYTH: “Hearing Aids Will Make Me Look Old.”
People don’t wear hearing aids because of aging. FACT: They wear hearing aids because they’re having difficulty hearing and that can occur at any age for any number of reasons. Hearing loss due to our modern lifestyle which includes electronic music players and similar devices, are causing more and more younger people to experience noise induced hearing loss. In fact, young people are one of the fastest growing groups now be fitted for hearing aids.
Hearing aids don’t make people look old – not understanding the conversation and being unable to answer a question makes people look old.
MYTH: Hearing Aids Are Obvious.
Hearing aids are no longer obvious due to the miniaturization of electronics. Hearing aids can be purchased in many different physical formats. Depending on your hearing loss is you may be able to wear a hearing aid that fits completely in the ear canal. This essentially makes it invisible to people standing immediately next to you. Hearing aids can also be worn behind the ear and are usually selected to match with your skin tone or hair making them virtually invisible.
Hide your hearing aids in plain sight - many modern hearing aids now look like earbuds and even come in cool colours as people show them off. Just like youngsters now show off their braces and they are cool to have, hearing aids are breaking the stigma as well. Might just be time to get with a new trend and hear what the kids are saying.
FACT: What Is More Obvious?
So, the question goes like this: “What is more obvious? Wearing a modern hearing aid or asking someone to repeat themselves a dozen times in the conversation.” Wearing hearing aids is a lot less discomforting than possibly getting a conversation seriously wrong that impacts your work or your personal relationships with people.
Today’s hearing aids come in all shapes and sizes including what we call “invisible hearing aids” that fit completely in the ear canal and have no outward profile. People sitting next to you wouldn't even be aware you have a hearing aid in unless they were to peer into your ear directly.
MYTH: “Hearing Aids Can Fix Any Hearing Loss.”
Hearing aids today are sophisticated medical devices that can greatly aid your ability to hear the sounds around you and make having a conversation possible. We can say that hearing aids profoundly improve quality of life all-around and that has an positive effect on mental health and overall physical health.
Setting Expectations
At the Polo Park Hearing Centre we take the time to explain what you can expect from your hearing aid based on the diagnosed level of hearing loss and what the technology can do for you.
MYTH: “Hearing aids amplify everything, so I should just be able to have people speak louder, turn the volume up etc.”
FACTS: Human hearing is quite complex and to use technology in the form of a hearing aid to help people with hearing loss is anything but simple. Various noise reduction technologies and logarithms are only recently possible thanks to digital signal processing techniques and hardware. Consider how difficult is to pick out the human voice in a noisy crowded room and identify as someone you know. Clear high-quality sound must be provided to the human brain for it to process the sounds accurately and identify the person and their words accurately. Once you add in features like feedback reduction, wind reduction, soft sound amplification, along with modern convenience features like Bluetooth control via your smartphone and music streaming, you begin to appreciate just how much technology is needed to make a modern hearing aid work.
MYTH “Small, Invisible hearing aids are the best. ”
FACT: While good things do come in small packages it doesn’t necessarily mean that the smallest hearing aid, a completely in the canal hearing aid is perfect for you. It’s true that we all want least physically obtrusive hearing aid possible, but there are practicalities that you need to be taken into consideration.
FACT: The type and size of hearing aid that will work for you is most determined by the type and degree of your hearing loss.
Do You Have Questions About What Hearing Myths?
All of our staff have over 10 years of experience with all forms of hearing loss and treatments. Give call us a call at (204) 788-1083 or send a message with the form on this page and we will get you all the information you need to answer all of your questions.
