The idea of losing your hearing can be an incredibly scary thing, especially if it’s something we’re not used to and haven’t had much contact with throughout our lives. The idea of never being able to use one of our senses is terrifying, but it may comfort you to know that many rumors have appeared over the years.
In fact, there are dozens of myths that have sprung seemingly out of nowhere, contributing to the fear of hearing loss. To help you stay informed and in the know, here are 8 of the most popular myths and the truth relating to each one.
#1 – Hearing Loss is Obvious
You may not get your hearing checked up on because you don’t think you have hearing loss. After all, surely you’d notice if you can’t hear? While this is true, for many cases, hearing loss is a gradual process, and you won’t notice without regular check-ups until it’s too late.
#2 – I’ll Get a Hearing Aid Soon
It can be easy to put off getting a hearing aid, especially if you hate the idea of them for aesthetic reasons, or you don’t want to be associated with what they are and what they do. Perhaps it’s a confidence thing.
However, hearing aids can only help you as long as you have enough hearing left to work with; even if you’re using quality hearing devices you can trust. Always make sure you’re looking after yourself before you lose your hearing completely.
#3 – Hearing Aids are Rubbish
This is one of the most confusing myths surrounding hearing aids. For some reason, people continue to believe that hearing aids won’t work for them, and this is based on pure opinion. Everybody’s hearing varies from person to person, so until you get checked out by a professional, you won’t be able to know.
#4 – Get One Hearing Aid, You’ll Save Money
While this is true, you probably would save money getting one hearing aid, this can do more damage to your hearing than good. This is because you need a hearing aid in each ear in order to balance your hearing, so your brain can process sounds properly.
#5 – Not Worth Looking After
For some of you, you might not really care about your hearing, and may shrug your shoulders at it. We all get old and this stuff happens; why worry about it, you might say. However, losing your hearing can be one of the most frustrating and depressing conditions there is.
Of course, there are some conditions in which this is inevitable, especially over time, but why let these feelings come sooner than you have to when you can easily look after yourself now.
#6 – I Can’t Afford Hearing Aids
Let’s put things into perspective. Think how many televisions, computers, mobile phones, cars, vacations and other things you have in your life that cost thousands and thousands of dollars. This is all about how you perceive value.
#7 – Hearing Aids Look Horrible
Granted, hearing aids of the past looked horrendous, and they’re sure to catch the attention of anybody walking past, but this is old news. Consider how far smartphones have come along in the last few years along. Technology has come a long way and nowadays, hearing aids look great!
#8 – I’ll Just Turn the Volume Up
A lot of the hearing we do usually comes from devices and conversation. This could be your computer, listening to music and watching television, and you may think that losing your hearing can be easily solved by turning up the volume.
However, while the people in your life may be understanding for a while, they’ll soon get sick of hearing everything on a high volume, and this can seriously damage your relationships.
Summary
There are plenty of other myths out there that people believe when it comes to hearing, loss of hearing, your quality of life and cost of hearing aids. Be sure to get regularly checked out by a hearing professional in order to maintain your quality of hearing for as long as possible.