On average, people start to wear hearing aids increasingly over the course of seven years after the first clear signs of hearing loss, with many waiting until between the ages of 60 and 70 before regularly wearing them for the first time.
This finding, published by the Keck School of Medicine of USC, highlights the range of barriers that can stand in the way of people and clear hearing, but the sooner you get your hearing tested, the sooner you can enjoy the benefits.
There are a lot of factors that shape a person’s decision to wear hearing aids, but improved awareness and a wider range of affordable and discreet hearing aids will help to remove the inequalities that they often highlight and ensure people get the help they need sooner.
To understand these issues, it is important to understand why people wait, when people should start wearing hearing aids, and the early signs that you should be mindful of hearing loss.
Why Do People Wait Before Wearing Hearing Aids?
The alarming headline figure that people wait over half a decade on average between dealing with hearing concerns and getting the prescription help they need is caused by a range of factors, both medical and social in nature.
Historically, there has been a stigma associated with hearing aids, particularly in their traditional form factor, although more advanced and more discreet options have helped somewhat to reduce this perception.
Whilst there is a correlation between age and hearing loss, people can lose their hearing at any time, and hundreds of thousands of adults under the age of 40 have reported signs of hearing loss.
Another issue is that it can be difficult to notice by yourself; many early symptoms of hearing loss could be written off as people talking too softly, a loud, busy room or hearing fatigue that is blamed on other factors, even though comprehension is a part of your hearing system.
In many cases, friends, family members and colleagues will notice someone struggling with their hearing first.
When Should You Start Wearing Hearing Aids?
As soon as you start to notice hearing loss affects your everyday life, it is worth going to an audiologist to get yourself tested. Hearing loss progresses somewhat slowly in many cases, and even in cases of mild hearing loss, hearing aids can provide a noticeable benefit.
Recognising hearing loss is usually not a matter of volume; factors such as ease of comprehension, regular tinnitus, struggling to make out words with similar sounds, missing alarms and having to turn up the volume of televisions and speakers all could be a sign of hearing loss.
From there, it is worth checking with an audiologist, as they will examine if hearing aids are right for you, and which ones will provide the biggest benefit to you both now and in the future.
How Do You Recognise Hearing Loss?
- If you struggle to follow conversations, especially in noisy rooms.
- If you notice yourself turning up the television, especially if other people think you have it on too loud.
- If you find conversations increasingly tiring and you feel increasingly isolated.