| MYTH: Hearing aids will cure hearing loss or restore a | | | | person's degree of impairment or listening needs, may |
| hearing impaired individual's hearing to normal. | | | | not necessarily be best suited to another person. |
| TRUTH: No hearing aid will ever allow a hearing | | | | MYTH: Hearing aids are not absolutely necessary for |
| impaired individual to have normal hearing. A hearing aid | | | | relatively minor hearing losses. |
| just cannot provide what the ear and its intricate | | | | TRUTH: It is not advisable to put off obtaining hearing |
| working of nerves can. What it can do is amplify | | | | aids until hearing loss becomes a bigger problem. Over |
| sounds so that those wearing them can benefit from | | | | time the risk of permanent sound distortion increases. |
| and enjoy a wide variety of listening situations. Hearing | | | | In this case, even when hearing aids amplify the |
| better helps one to respond appropriately thus | | | | volume of the spoken word it can still sound garbled. |
| improving communication skills. | | | | MYTH: Hearing aids will not be effective for some |
| MYTH: Hearing aids will resolve all of a hearing | | | | types of hearing losses. |
| impaired individual's communication difficulties. | | | | TRUTH: Generations ago people with certain types of |
| TRUTH: This is impossible, although hearing aids go a | | | | hearing losses, such as high frequency, were told there |
| long way in helping a hearing impaired individual with | | | | was little or no help out there for them. With advances |
| their communication skills. Hearing aid wearers often still | | | | in hearing aid technology this is no longer true. Hearing |
| have problems following conversations when | | | | aids are now effective for at least 95 % of hearing |
| background noise is present or in noisy public settings, | | | | impaired individuals. |
| thus inhibiting their ability to communicate effectively in | | | | MYTH: Babies can't be fitted with hearing aids. |
| those situations. | | | | TRUTH: Actually infants as young as a month old can |
| MYTH: Hearing aids will destroy residual hearing. | | | | be fitted with hearing aids. With the increase in hearing |
| TRUTH: Since hearing aids are prescribed according to | | | | tests for at risk newborns, hearing impairments are |
| an individual wearer's specific hearing loss, it would be | | | | being detected earlier then ever and the world of |
| a rare occurrence for a hearing aid to cause further | | | | hearing aid research and technology is doing its best to |
| damage to a person's hearing. There are several | | | | keep pace. |
| things a hearing impaired individual can do to further | | | | MYTH: It doesn't matter where hearing aids are |
| reduce the possibility of damage caused by hearing | | | | purchased. |
| aids. They must be well maintained, worn correctly and | | | | TRUTH: While buying hearing aids through mail order or |
| well fitted. | | | | off the internet may be less expensive, it is not |
| MYTH: Smaller hearing aids have better technology. | | | | necessarily advisable. By purchasing through these |
| TRUTH: Both larger hearing aids and smaller ones are | | | | venues, a hearing aid consumer may be giving up the |
| equipped with cutting edge technology. The two most | | | | quality of care they will get by working with an |
| common types of hearing aids are behind the ear | | | | audiologist. This includes things such as a qualified |
| (BTE) and completely in the canal (CIC) hearing aids. | | | | hearing evaluation, professional recommendations as |
| Whether or not an individual will be able to wear a | | | | to the most appropriate type of hearing aid, expert |
| hearing aid that is nearly invisible to a casual observer, | | | | instruction regarding proper hearing aid usage, follow up |
| depends on the type of hearing impairment they have. | | | | care, etc. |
| The hearing aid that is most appropriate for one | | | | |