Why People Delay Getting Hearing Aids
(And Why You Shouldn’t)
Hearing loss is one of the most common health issues adults face, yet millions of people wait years before doing anything about it. Research shows that people often delay getting hearing aids for 7-10 years after first noticing signs of hearing difficulty. But the question is, why do people delay getting hearing aids?
Hearing loss rarely happens overnight; it creeps in slowly, and the signs can be subtle at first. Missed words in a conversation at a busy pub or restaurant, turning up the TV, and asking people to repeat themselves. These gradual adjustments become more normal over time and can easily be overlooked. Although there are many reasons why someone might delay getting hearing aids, we’ve highlighted our top 5 below.
5 reasons someone might delay getting hearing aids
1. “My hearing isn’t that bad!”
Hearing loss happens gradually over time and the brain adapts. People often don’t realise how much their hearing has changed until they are really struggling. They may compare themselves to someone with severe hearing loss and assume they’re fine. If they can manage one-to-one conversations or hear well in quiet environments, it’s easier to convince themselves they’re okay.
Hearing loss often shows up in noisy places likes restaurants, family gatherings, meetings and social events. In these environments hearing loss can be explained away “the music was too loud”, “they were mumbling” etc. This point leads to our second reason..
2. Denial & emotional resistance
There are a number of reasons why someone might be in denial about hearing loss. As mentioned earlier, they genuinely might believe that there hearing isn’t that bad. For a long time hearing loss has been strongly stereotyped as a sign of aging or frailty. Someone in denial may feel like admitting to hearing loss makes them seem ‘old’.
When someone loses their hearing, they may feel a certain amount of grief over this physical loss. Denial is a natural subconscious stage in the grief cycle before coming to acceptance. You can read more about the grief cycle and hearing loss here.
3. Stigma
Linking to the previous point about denial and emotional resistance, there is still a stigma surrounding hearing aids. Often when people think of hearing aids, they picture a big beige clunky device that’s going to make them stand out. This can lead to a worry that people will view them or treat them differently.
Hearing have changed so much in recent years, gone are the days of big clunky devices. Now they’re stylish, discreet, rechargeable, connect to your phone and so much more.
4. Cost
With advanced technology and discreet stylish designs, people often worry hearing aids come with an expensive price tag. And, while hearing aids can be expensive, there are options for everyone.
Choosing an independent audiologist over a high-street chain can be surprisingly cost-effective. Independents are not usually tied to specific manufacturers and can be more flexible with discounts and provide generous aftercare packages.
The NHS also still offer hearing aids for free and they are much more discreet than they used to be so this is an option for anyone worried about the cost of hearing aids.
5. Fear of change
Accepting hearing loss and the need for hearing aids can feel daunting. The brain has to relearn how to process sounds and this adjustment period can be overwhelming at first. That’s why we offer a two-week trial to allow time to get used to hearing aids before making any major commitments. We have first hand experience dealing with hearing loss and the complexities that come with wearing hearing aids. Our aim at LAC is to make your journey to better hearing as smooth as possible.
