Many things that pass as common knowledge in terms of hearing loss and aid for improving it, are, in fact nothing more than urban myths. Maybe one of the most common myths regarding this matter is that is entirely curable, regardless of the age of the patient. Which is untrue, given the fact that recent statistics have shown that only in approximately 9% of the cases, this rule applies. Below are some of the most common myths regarding hearing loss.
Hearing loss is sign of old age
While it is true that elders are more affected by hearing loss, this is not a rule to follow. Only a ratio of 35% of those confronted with this issue is older than 65. Just in the USA, the number of people between 18 and 45 reaches about six million, which is alarming, especially because many tend to ignore this issue at a young age. Moreover, a million of school-age children also face this problem.
I experience hearing loss in only one ear
Being able to tell that just one of your ears is affected by hearing loss is incredibly difficult. Many of those who think that one of their ears is affected by the issue have, in fact, problems with both of them, only that one is more severely affected. The numbers come to back up this fact, more than 90% of the patients with hearing aids, needing those for both of their ears.
In elders, hearing loss is normal
Yes, elders are more prone to develop this issue, but this does not mean that it is normal. Seeing a doctor when facing such issues, regardless of one’s age, is mandatory. Appropriate help will provide the necessary means of living a normal life, without the shame of not hearing your peers in day-to-day conversations.
If you experience hearing loss, you cannot be helped
With the advanced medical developments in the past decades, the vast majority of medical issues can be treated with high rates of success. While in the past was true that hearing loss was permanent, hearing aids nowadays offer incredible results.
Only those with severe hearing loss need aids
When deciding if you need a hearing aid, it is essential to take into account various coordinates of your lifestyle. For instance, if your profession is one that is mainly based on discerning between nuances of interpersonal communication, you definitely need an aid at an early stage of the condition. Regardless of how sever the issue is, a hearing aid will certainly improve the patient’s quality of life.
Hearing aids will become bothersome once the conversation is louder
Hearing aids are indeed amplifiers. And while in the early development stages of these products the patient would have had to turn up the volume for soft conversation, this is no longer necessary. Today’s hearing aids have the ability to adapt the volume depending on the sound’s intensity. This way, sounds of a higher volume will not become too loud.