Hearing loss is one of the most common disabilities in the country, affecting more than 35 million Americans. And it impacts nearly every aspect of their lives: professional, social and personal. Yet, the average person with hearing loss waits a full seven years before seeking help. We’re trying to change that, because effective hearing aids can vastly improve people’s quality of life.
**Here are the most common myths about hearing LOSS—and the facts:**
**Myth:** Hearing loss affects only older people.
***Fact:*** In fact, people of all ages suffer from hearing loss. It can develop in young children and is becoming more and more common in people from the teenage years to age 40, probably due to an increase in environmental noise. It is true that age is a contributing factor. Between 30% and 40% of people over 65 have significant hearing loss.
**Myth:** If I were suffering from hearing loss, my doctor would know.
***Fact:*** Only 15% of physicians routinely screen their adult patients for hearing loss. So unless you bring acute symptoms to your doctor, he/she is unlikely to test your hearing.
**Myth:** For people with hearing loss, everything is equally hard to hear.
***Fact:*** This is a common fallacy but completely untrue. A person with hearing loss may have normal hearing in the low tones but severe loss in higher frequencies—the register where women’s and children’s voices tend to be. Some consonants tend to be harder to hear than others: these include S, T and H. If you’re having trouble hearing only certain sounds, it’s worth taking a test to find out why.
**Myth:** If I can cope by turning up the volume and having face-to-face conversations, I should.
***Fact:*** It’s important to know that coping with hearing loss—even if you do it well—can have negative effects on your professional life, your relationships and your brain. It’s not worth straining to hear or using workarounds. The best solution is to get a hearing checkup and treat any hearing loss.
