According to a recent study, over 12% of the total adult population in the United States suffers from significant hearing loss. While that may not seem significant, another study showed that an estimated 6.7 million people would benefit from hearing aids, but only two million people have them.
Why are there so many people without hearing aids that need them? There may be several answers to that question. The first possibility is that people do not realize they need a hearing aid or have significant hearing loss. This may seem odd, but it is hard to tell what you are missing when it isn’t there.
While someone with hearing loss may notice they sometimes miss things or have trouble hearing, it is possible they assume it’s normal or attribute it to other things. They may not realize they are suffering from hear loss, and while hearing tests are common for children, adults only get them when they complain of possible hearing loss.
Another possible reason is that the individual thinks they are “too young” for hearing aids. While hearing problems are common among people of all ages, the perception of them is that they are for old people. This may prevent many middle-aged people from looking into getting a hearing aid.
If there is even the slightest chance you think you may have hearing damage, you need to visit a hearing center. They will be able to fully examine your hearing ability and provide you with honest feedback on what you need to live the fullest life possible.
While many people may not realize it or want to admit it, hearing loss can significantly impact person relationships as others have a really difficult time communicating with you.
A hearing doctor can determine your level of hearing loss as well as provide information on what led to your hearing loss. While this damage will not help to repair what has already been lost, it may be important to preventing future hearing loss.
Hearing centers are a great resource because they specialize in hearing loss, hearing aids, hearing aid repair, and more. While a general family doctor may be able to diagnose hearing loss, they will most likely still want to refer you to a hearing center to see a specialist.
You can save money and skip the middle man by going straight to a hearing center. Chances are if you are noticing a difference in your communication with others and your ability to connect during conversations, you have significant hearing loss that will require a specialist anyway.
If you are really resistant, you may be wondering how a little hearing loss could be negatively impacting your relationships. Being able to clearly and consistently hear the person you with is the foundation to communication. Communication and misunderstandings can be hard enough when both people can hear clearly, add hearing loss to the mix, and communication can be impossible.
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