In a wonderful blog post I just read, an author points out that 75% of people between ages 65 and 75 have some form of hearing loss and would be helped with a hearing aid. Less than 20% of these people are diagnosed properly and choose to use hearing aids.
The problem with so few people using hearing aids is the actual risk that they will lose the ability to process sounds into words. This is the primary point illustrated by the blog at hearingaidblog.com. I am not sure the danger is as extreme as they make it out to be but the point is a good one. Thousands and thousands of senior citizens who’s life would be much more full with a hearing aid are not using them for one reason or the other.
The other point they make, which is equally important, is that people who wait too long to employ a hearing ad will not reap all the benefits that they could if they used them right when they needed them. The brain loses the ability to process sound on a gradual pace. It does not happen one day out of the blue. The brain needs to hear. People should use hearing aids as soon as they are needed. Most blame the medical community for the lack of urgency. Let us hope people get the message that hearing aids are important once you begin to lose hearing.
