You may not know it, but hearing loss in the United States is one of the great untold stories of our time. Despite rapid advances in hearing aid technology, the number of people who have hearing problems continues to grow. Indeed, about 15% of American adults aged 18 and over report trouble hearing. In total, this amounts to a staggering number: approximately 37.5 million people.
Of that 37.5 million, around 28.8 million could seriously benefit from using hearing aids according to research from the NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program – however, among adults over 70 who could stand to benefit, only 30% have ever used them. For those aged 20 to 69, the number is even smaller: only 16% have ever used them.
There are multiple reasons for this lack of commitment to what could be a worthy solution for a lot of people:
Social stigma
For many people, the simple truth is that hearing aids are uncool and unfashionable. In many instances, this is based on old-fashioned stereotypes of hearing aid devices that look like huge, heavy grey blocks. Thankfully, this is very much no longer the case: today’s devices are tiny in comparison to those of the past, and are sleeker and more high-tech than ever before. Indeed, in many cases they are indistinguishable from wireless headphones.
Undiagnosed/misdiagnosed conditions
Without proper diagnosis, there may not even be a recognition of the problems you may face. For hundreds of thousands of Americans, hearing loss can be something that they are either unaware of or unsure of the extent of.
Furthermore, a misdiagnosis can cause all manner of complications: if an audiologist incorrectly identifies the root cause of the hearing loss, or its precise nature (e.g. a particularly high frequency hearing loss as opposed to a lower one), then the hearing aids prescribed may not be suitable. As a result, the wearer may not see the full benefit of a properly attuned hearing aid, and it may even exacerbate the issues that one is facing. In the long term, this is likely to discourage the person from wearing their hearing aids, or even put them off pursuing alternatives altogether.
Financial and logistical barriers
In today’s age of inflation and the difficulties that have come about as a result of the pandemic, every dollar counts. For many Americans, this has meant that purchasing a hearing aid has either become a lower priority or they have been priced out of the market. For others still, even finding a nearby audiologist can prove a major difficulty. Thankfully, thanks to the recent changes in the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid of 2017, companies such as Hearing Aid Accessory are now able to offer a fantastic range of gadgets at more affordable prices than ever before, and passing the benefits onto you, the customer!
Occupational reasons
Working in an already noisy or risky environment can mean that individuals are disinclined to wear their hearing aids, or feel especially sensitive with their hearing. Happily, we at Hearing Aid Accessory offer a broad range of protective devices that are specially designed to help you take care of your ears in all environments. To explore some of the options, click here.
In addition to all of the above reasons, many people simply do not realize just how far hearing aids have come along in the past twenty years. Nowadays they boast a huge variety of different functions, and can communicate with all kinds of multimedia devices from mobile phones to laptops to smart TVs.
At Hearing Aid Accessory we can help you to get the best out of your devices, all for a fraction of the cost you can find elsewhere. So, why wait? Start exploring our amazing selection today!
