It’s a common belief that getting a hearing aid will make you look “old,” but a Santa Clarita audiologist is reminding the community that choosing not to correct a hearing loss with a hearing aid is actually a much more obvious sign of age.
While many people don’t appear to mind correcting their vision problems with prescription glasses, Advanced Audiology’s Nola Aronson noted that a decades-old stigma that comes with hearing aids is totally different, when people wrongly assume a hearing aid will be large and obvious.
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“Hearing aids are practically invisible today. They match your hair color and they are even smaller than the Bluetooth devices people wear,” Aronson said. “That is no longer a good excuse to not getting something to keep you in communication with the world and continue to do things that you like to do — like go out to eat in a noisy restaurant or play cards with a group of people.”
According to recent studies, individuals who avoid activities like this because of hearing loss usually get depressed and isolated, so Aronson strives to educate the public about their hearing before this becomes an issue.
Another reason many people dismiss the thought of wearing a hearing aid is the cost, but Aronson recommends remembering that the price includes many years of use and continual service.
“Eyeglasses are something you get once a year or more often — hearing aids can last up to five years or more,” Aronson said, noting that during that time, adjustments, battery replacements and other service will likely be needed, which is included in the initial cost of the hearing aid.
To help residents determine if they need a hearing aid to improve their quality of life and communication, Aronson is once again giving free hearing screenings at Advanced Audiology this year.
“We don’t want there to be anything standing in the way of somebody at least knowing what they need to do about their communication to lead a better social life,” Aronson said, “so we provide that.”
