The Truth About Hearing Aids

What is the truth about hearing aids? Well, first we have to get to the truth about hearing loss.

The first question that needs to be answered is how important is your hearing to you? Do you REALLY think that everybody mumbles, that your spouse is always whispering, the TV should be turned up so your neighbors can hear it, and having trouble hearing everyone in the dining room or restaurant is normal?

If the answer is yes, then my guess is you are in denial about having a hearing loss. Most people think that when they lose their hearing everything will become softer, but unfortunately this is not what happens. What happens is you lose the ability to understand speech, which is why most people feel they can hear, but not understand. That is because most people still have good low pitch hearing, but lose their high pitch hearing which is where most of the consonant sounds of English are spoken.

Consonant sounds are important because they give meaning to the words. The difference between the words pat and pack are huge, but if you cannot hear the difference, you have to guess from the context or miss the meaning altogether.

A hearing aid can give you the boost you need in the higher pitches and hearing aids today are very small and inconspicuous. I find it amazing all the people who come into my office and don’t want to get a hearing aid because of a stigma they have attached to it. The goal of a hearing aid is to help you hear better, so you don’t have to embarrass yourself with guessing or asking people to repeat. These days’ people have ear level telephones, and think it is cool. Having a hearing aid that prevents you from asking people to repeat or missing the conversation altogether, will also make you look cool.

The truth about hearing aids is that all the manufacturers make great hearing aids to fit all people and budgets. The hearing aids of today are far better than they were 10 years ago, actually even five years ago.

So, you need to find a hearing aid dispenser or audiologist who you can work with because losing one of your five senses is a big deal and we understand that.