Why Are There More Younger People Wearing Hearing Aids?

Here is a quick test. Who wears hearing aids?

If you’re like most, you immediately thought of the elderly. That’s pretty common, but times are changing; the age of people wearing hearing aids is lower than it used to be.

Obviously, audiologists are delighted by this trend because it means that many of the stigmas attached to hearing aids are disappearing. However, it also means that an increasing number of young people are becoming aware of the importance of their hearing health.

Our team at ENT Consultants of East Tennessee is excited that so many young people are taking charge of their hearing care!

In celebration of this new trend, we want to take a little time to shine a spotlight on the benefits of regular hearing checks and the various solutions available to help overcome hearing challenges.

What Are the Benefits of Regular Hearing Assessments?

Has it been a while since you have had a hearing test, like back in grade school or junior high?

Like most, you’re probably not aware that regular hearing assessments are a critical element of better hearing. Besides being a diagnostic tool, hearing tests can track the minute changes to your hearing that you may not be able to recognize.

By measuring changes to your hearing, you’re able to make the necessary lifestyle changes, use hearing protection at work, during events with a lot of noise, or while engaged in certain recreational activities as well as identify when you need the help of hearing aids.

Even if your test shows that your hearing is normal, your first test establishes a baseline against which future changes to your hearing can be measured. Annual or biannual (every two years) hearing assessments allow your doctor of audiology to develop proactive solutions that limit damage to your hearing and keep you hearing better for as long as possible.

Regular hearing tests also help determine the right kind of hearing aid is the best fit for you and your ears as well as the one with adequate processing strength and features to address your unique hearing challenges.

Even after you have been fitted with hearing aids, hearing tests are used to monitor progress and allow your hearing care professional to make programming adjustments or recommend hearing aid upgrades.

You could say that regular hearing assessments are the cornerstone of allowing you to continue to enjoy an active and independent lifestyle or regain it if it is slowly slipping away.

Your hearing is a critical function as you go about living from day to day. Young people are figuring that out and are getting the help they need from the devices that provide the best solutions to overcome their unique hearing challenges – why not you, too?

Solutions for the Challenges of Hearing Loss

How important is communication at work? How much do you rely on your hearing when you’re among friends and family?

Social isolation is the typical path taken by those who struggle with a hearing loss. They disconnect from others because of the awkwardness and embarrassment of not being able to follow conversations at family gatherings, dining out, or a get together with friends where there is just too much background noise.

Professional hearing care is the best way to avoid social isolation and prevent hearing challenges from interrupting your quality of life. Your audiologist or doctor of audiology provides regular hearing assessments, ear cleaning, hearing protection, hearing aid wellness assessments, and various other forms of assistive technology to ensure you can hear your best for as long as possible.

Imagine listening to your favorite music with the clarity and detail it was meant to have or being able to follow the conversations at your table in a crowded restaurant.

With better hearing, you can continue to take part in the conversation (or the dance party!), improve your productivity at work, and continue to play an active role in the lives of those who mean the most to you.

Are Hearing Aid Stigmas Holding You Back?

We understand that “back in the day” hearing aids were unsightly: bulky, heavy, awkward devices in unflattering colors, totally obvious and completely unflattering.

Purge those images from your mind!

Today’s hearing aids are often so tiny that unless people know you’re wearing one, they aren’t apt to ever notice them. They are lightweight, powerful, come in a wide range of colors and styles, and have impressive high-tech features.

Some hearing aids come with smartphone capabilities that allow you to adjust sound levels and fine-tune your listening experience from the comfort of your phone!

The uptick in new and improved technology in one of the most rapidly advancing sectors of technology, hearing aids include cutting-edge charging capabilities, Bluetooth streaming, speech in noise processing, and a ton of other features.

Instead of being awkward and embarrassing, hearing aids are… do we dare say, cool!

It is because the stigmas attached to hearing aids are being destroyed that more and more young people are beginning to take advantage of regular hearing assessments and are taking a more proactive role in maintaining their hearing health.

Better Hearing for All Ages

If you are ready to make sure you hear your best for as long as possible, today is the day to start!