Overcoming Stigma: The Benefits of Wearing Hearing Aids

What comes to mind when you think about wearing hearing aids? Is it the big chunky plastic behind the ear cases of the 80s, or does it represent something different to you, like a failure or a fault with your body? Is this the cause of over 25 million Americans who need hearing aids not actually wearing them?

There are many stigmas associated with wearing hearing aids and the type of person who needs to wear these devices. But the reality is, by not being able to overcome the stigma associated with hearing loss and hearing aids, you will be missing out on all the benefits.

Living with hearing loss can impact your life in many different ways, and being fitted to wear a hearing aid can bring with it many benefits. Hearing aids don’t restore sound as glasses do with vision. Instead, they amplify sounds received in your ears so you can hear them easier. And you might not even realize how much this impacts your life, especially if the loss has been gradual, not instant.

Improved Relationships

Hearing loss has long been associated with reduced communication, which can impact every type of relationship you might have. Some people find themselves shying away from contact with others putting a strain on their relationships, or they may notice increased conflict due to the inability to hear as well as they once did. Wearing hearing aids can help you to regain control of your relationships and repair any damage done by your hearing loss.

Increased Independence

There are many things that become difficult or impossible to do if you are unable to hear correctly. Things you take for granted, like driving, talking to store assistants when shopping or making phone calls, are all more difficult if you are struggling to hear clearly; hearing aids allow you to turn up the volume in visitations that you need to be able to hear better and will enable you to regain your independence and not perry about missing out on any vital information when alone. Whether dining with friends in loud restaurants, using public transport alone or even making a phone call, a heating aid allows you to take control and do things you once took for granted.

Improved Quality of Health

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect your hearing. It can impact your mental and emotional well-being too. People living with hearing loss are at greater risk of loneliness and social isolation, meaning they become more reserved and reduce their social circle and activities due to not being able to hear so well. This can impact cognitive decline, sleeping habits and overall health due to a more sedentary lifestyle.

Wearing hearing aids offers you the chance to increase the level of sound your ears can process, allowing you to return to your life as you once you know it and not worry about how you will communicate or interact with others. Those with an increased social circle, a busy lifestyle and regular interactions with others lead to happier, longer and healthier lives.

Increased Career Options

Your hearing will massively impact your ability to do your job correctly. Your job role doesn’t matter; you need your hearing to help you get by each day. From talking to customers and colleagues to listening to the environment around you and even paying attention to the changes in sounds from equipment and machinery, you need to be able to listen to a wide range of noises. Even slight hearing loss can impact your ability to do this easily and affect how you can work and even the type of work you can take on. This will significantly improve your ability to earn a living and even support career advancement goals too.

Choosing to have hearing aids fitted can remove these obstacles and foster greater career options and success by allowing you to amplify the sounds you need to hear to ensure you are in the loop at all times.

Wearing hearing aids isn’t something you should shy away from. Much like people with less than 20/20 vision wear glasses or contact lenses to help them see properly, hearing aids should be considered by people who have hearing loss to help them improve their quality of life.

A hearing instrument specialist can work with you to ascertain your hearing loss and the level of hearing loss you are experiencing. From here, you can find the right hearing aids for your needs to help you experience all the benefits hearing aids have to offer. To learn more, contact the Center for Better Hearing by calling 510-768-7091.