10 Reasons Hearing Aids Are Not Like Glasses

Do your friends and family ever wonder why you don’t hear better with your hearing aids? Mine sometimes do, which can be frustrating, especially when you are working extremely hard to hear the best you can. They might be confused, thinking that hearing aids are just like glasses, and that once you put them on, your hearing is restored to “normal.” Those of us with hearing aids know this is not the case. You can read more about that here.

Below are my top 10 reasons why hearing aids are not like glasses. Share this post with your loved ones and help them understand the difference.

1. They do not restore your hearing to “normal.” Things will be louder, but not always clearer, making it difficult to understand speech.

2. They amplify all sounds, including those you don’t want to hear like the hum of the refrigerator and other background noise.

3. They are not seen as fashion accessories, although some hearing aids now come in colors.

4. They often remain shrouded in stigma and shame, unlike glasses which make you look “smart.”

5. They are not regularly covered by insurance, making them prohibitively expensive for many.

6. They need batteries to function.

7. They can increase sensitivity to loud sounds.

8. They squeal at inopportune times.

9. They can’t get wet.

10. They are easily misplaced and can sometimes be mistaken for a snack by the dog given their size.

What reasons would you add to the list?

A version of this post first appeared on Living With Hearing Loss.

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Thinkstock photo by Andrey Popov.