What is your perception of Hearing Aids?
I remember when the only people that would buy a hearing aid were people who were dragged into my office by someone who usually said he or she “is going to buy hearing aids or I am getting a divorce”. There was no doubt that hearing aids were going to be purchased that day. There had to be an extreme amount of motivation to overcome the resistance of purchasing hearing aids.
Hearing aids have always been talked about as not working by most Doctors as they told everyone if they had nerve loss, hearing aids wouldn’t help. Well, come to find out, that’s the kind of hearing loss the hearing aids helped! Interesting how the story changes when Doctors are dispensing hearing aids; isn’t it?
Sign of getting old and being handicapped. That was the other stigma everyone had about hearing aids. Really, who could blame them? You should have seen the size of some of those hearing aids that I used to fit 34 years ago. I guess looking back, they couldn’t have looked at hearing aids in almost any other way.
Now, let’s fast-forward to today. What a difference 30 years makes and especially the digital technology that just keeps getting better and better. We are helping people separate speech from noise. We can use Directional Mics that can pick up only selected group sizes and take down all the other sounds in a room. We can help people understand words in noise, and the clarity and prescription fittings have never been better.
Need a hearing aid to do your job better or have closer relationships? Today everyone knows that without good hearing you’re just left out — literally left out. And usually not felt sorry for any longer because if you don’t do something about your hearing today it’s your FAULT and no one else.
I will admit it’s the young people and there personal listening devices that showed us ego-tough guys that, hey, so what if someone sees something in your ear. If it helps in job performance or getting along with your friends and family, why would you not wear it? Perhaps it’s because I have seen so many people in my life self destruct their own lives because they just would not get or wear a hearing aid.
If you have hearing loss get it checked and corrected, it will help you now and many years to come.
