Myth: Hearing aids are only for people with very serious hearing loss.

Hearing aids are an effective response to almost all levels of hearing loss. For anyone who works a job where communication is necessary, who spends time with family and friends, or who enjoys music, television and radio, even a mild hearing loss can be limiting. It can be difficult to determine the extent to which one’s lifestyle will be limited by hearing loss – a hearing test, and discussion with a Hearing Health Care Professional, can help you to decide on the right choice for your lifestyle.

Myth: A hearing aid that will help me hear quieter sounds will make everything else sound too loud.

Today’s hearing aids function so that they amplify based on sound intake. With this kind of technology, louder sounds are not amplified, or are amplified very lightly, whereas quieter sounds or sounds that are harder to hear are amplified to a greater degree. Most hearing aids today do this automatically, meaning that the wearer is not even required to switch the volume settings back and forth on their aid. With modern technologies, technical difficulties like this one are no longer issues at all.

Myth: Hearing aids are obvious and unattractive, and they’ll make me look older and handicapped.

Hearing aid manufacturers are aware of the concern over cosmetic appeal. To address this, they are constantly developing hearing aids that are either sleek and stylish or neutral-coloured to blend, as well as hearing aids that work entirely within the ear canal and are thus practically invisible. Today’s hearing aids are not nearly as noticeable as they once were. Sears Hearing Centre offers hearing aids that are 100% invisible, as well as extended-wear products that may be left within the ear canal for extended periods, undetected.

It is also important to recognize that it is not hearing aids that will make a person seem older or handicapped; what does this is the impairment itself. The stereotype of aging is a person who clearly can’t hear – they yell instead of speaking, they ask those around them to repeat themselves, they smile or nod at inappropriate times. Wearing a hearing aid specifically aims to prevent these stereotypical signs of aging. Hearing aids are a proactive response to hearing loss, and any stigma is irrelevant if a hearing aid is serving its function to help the wearer hear properly once more.

Myth: No matter what a hearing aid could do for my hearing, it wouldn’t be enough to justify its expense.

If you are faced with this dilemma, it is important to consider the difference that a hearing aid would make to your quality of life. Choosing not to invest in a hearing aid can frequently lead to social isolation resulting from no longer being able to communicate with friends, co-workers and family. Hearing aids can be instrumental in allowing you to continue enjoying what you like to do best, like listening to music, or participating in conversation at a restaurant or family gathering, or spending time outdoors. Although this can be a difficult decision, treating your hearing is a smart long-term investment. In addition, the longer you leave a hearing loss untreated, the harder it is to recuperate your natural ability to hear well, so it’s best to react sooner rather than later!

At Sears Hearing Centre, we carry a wide price range of hearing aids, in order to better serve anyone wishing to address a hearing loss. Furthermore, the government of Ontario runs an Assistive Devices Program, which accepts and frequently grants applications for funding for hearing aids. Our hearing aids can also be purchased with coverage from organizations such as the Workplace Safety Insurance Board, Veterans Affairs Canada and the Ontario Disability Support Program, as well as with the aid of private insurance. In addition, you can also benefit from the convenient financing options provided by Sears when you purchase your hearing aids with a Sears Financial™ Credit Card. Give us a call or drop in to one of our clinics today to learn more on the many options available to you.