"I'm too young for a hearing aid"
- Aug 23rd, 2010
Caron Harris is a speech therapist and hearing clinician with Connect Hearing in Melbourne who has been wearing hearing instruments for six years. Caron receives constant comments from clients and acquaintances about her being too young to be wearing hearing instruments!
“There is a misperception in the community about hearing loss being an older person’s problem, and not being an issue important enough to do something about when one is younger,” she says.
Hearing loss, like visual problems, can occur at any age. There are many causes, not all as a result of aging. Whatever the cause, it is important to have hearing instruments properly prescribed and fitted at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid auditory deprivation and further damage (from continuing to subject your hearing to loud noise).
“Auditory deprivation refers to a person’s lack of adequate hearing stimulation,” says Caron. Working as both an audiologist and speech therapist, I am concerned that so many people leave it too long to take action to treat their hearing loss with the wearing of hearing instruments.
With auditory deprivation, the brain gradually loses some of its information processing ability. The ability of the auditory system to process speech declines due to a lack of stimulation. This can also occur in people who wear only one hearing instrument when in fact they need one for each ear.
Untreated hearing loss can negatively impact relationships, school performance, job prospects and emotional well being. Yet a majority of people with hearing impairment wait years before they try hearing instruments.
Often, when they do start wearing hearing instruments, they have gone for such a long time without ‘normal’ stimulation to either ear, their ability to understand speech in both ears can be poor, causing them to dislike and blame the hearing instruments. Or they haven’t heard certain sounds for a while and these may now seem exaggerated.
The old expression “use it or lose it” applies to our ability to hear and understand speech.
Hearing instruments today are cosmetically appealing and very effective in assisting a wearer’s residual hearing. Selecting the most suitable hearing instrument as soon as hearing loss is professionally diagnosed can be the critical factor to enjoying life to its fullest, which is essential at any age.
To make an appointment please call 1300 656 858 or Click Here
“There is a misperception in the community about hearing loss being an older person’s problem, and not being an issue important enough to do something about when one is younger,” she says.
Hearing loss, like visual problems, can occur at any age. There are many causes, not all as a result of aging. Whatever the cause, it is important to have hearing instruments properly prescribed and fitted at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid auditory deprivation and further damage (from continuing to subject your hearing to loud noise).
“Auditory deprivation refers to a person’s lack of adequate hearing stimulation,” says Caron. Working as both an audiologist and speech therapist, I am concerned that so many people leave it too long to take action to treat their hearing loss with the wearing of hearing instruments.
With auditory deprivation, the brain gradually loses some of its information processing ability. The ability of the auditory system to process speech declines due to a lack of stimulation. This can also occur in people who wear only one hearing instrument when in fact they need one for each ear.
Untreated hearing loss can negatively impact relationships, school performance, job prospects and emotional well being. Yet a majority of people with hearing impairment wait years before they try hearing instruments.
Often, when they do start wearing hearing instruments, they have gone for such a long time without ‘normal’ stimulation to either ear, their ability to understand speech in both ears can be poor, causing them to dislike and blame the hearing instruments. Or they haven’t heard certain sounds for a while and these may now seem exaggerated.
The old expression “use it or lose it” applies to our ability to hear and understand speech.
Hearing instruments today are cosmetically appealing and very effective in assisting a wearer’s residual hearing. Selecting the most suitable hearing instrument as soon as hearing loss is professionally diagnosed can be the critical factor to enjoying life to its fullest, which is essential at any age.
To make an appointment please call 1300 656 858 or Click Here
