​Hear the truth about hearing loss

Hearing loss affects a large number of people as they age, and many of those people will need hearing aids. However, there is a lot of misinformation about hearing loss and hearing aids, so today we’ll separate the myths from the facts.

Myth: Only people over the age of 65 lose their hearing.

Fact: Nearly 2/3 of the people who lose their hearing – or about 6 million people – are between the ages of 18 and 44.

Myth: Mild hearing loss means you don’t need hearing aids.

Fact: Even mild hearing loss warrants an exam to determine if a hearing aid would improve your hearing. This is especially true in young children.

Myth: Hearing loss in one ear doesn’t justify getting a hearing aid.

Fact: Hearing with two ears helps us localize sounds, and helps us hear in noisy settings.

Myth: Dementia and Alzheimer’s are not related to hearing loss.

Fact: Older adults with hearing loss are more likely to develop Alzheimer's disease and dementia, compared to those with normal hearing.

Myth: Hearing aids make everything too loud.

Fact: Hearing aids are personalized for your lifestyle and automatically provide appropriate levels of amplification based on the noise levels in the environment.

Myth: Hearing aids are bulky and unattractive.

Fact: Hearing aids are small and discreet. Many are barely visible unless you are looking for them on a person. Some are even placed directly in the ear canal.

Myth: Inexpensive, over-the-counter hearing aids are just as good as ones from an audiologist.

Fact: Over-the-counter hearing aids won’t be properly fitted and might not be set for your exact hearing needs. They could cause discomfort or damage down the road.

Myth: If my hearing aid doesn’t work right away, the audiologist made a mistake or the hearing aid is broken.

Fact: The brain needs some time to adjust to hearing again, and often hearing aids take a few adjustments to be calibrated properly for you.

CEENTA has nearly 30 audiologists working across North and South Carolina. Don’t let misinformation prevent you from getting your hearing tested and being connected to the rest of the world.

This blog is for informational purposes only. For specific medical questions, please consult your physician.