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CHAPTER SIX Hearing Aid Technology Robert W. Sweetow, Ph.D.
. . . In the past several years, hearing aid technology has advanced to the point where the question of candidacy is now based more on your communicative needs rather than purely on the test results obtained in a soundproof room. That is, your own personal, subjective needs. A good litmus test is to ask yourself whether you feel stressed or fatigued after a day of straining to hear. Hearing aids may simply relieve this strain, rather than making sounds louder or allowing you to understand all speech in all listening environments. Reducing strain alone can be a very significant benefit, not only to you, but to those trying to talk to you. Occupational and social demands vary greatly among individuals. A judge who has a mild hearing loss may desperately need amplification, while a retired person living alone with the exact same degree of hearing loss may not. You must unselfishly examine whether you’re becoming a burden to others, even if you do not personally recognize difficulty hearing. Remember that wearing hearing aids may be a symbol of courtesy to others. Unfortunately, despite the need, you, like many people, may resist trying hearing aids. Two common factors characterizing the response in people who have been told they should wear amplification are that practically no one wants to wear hearing aids, and no one wants to spend money or waste time solving a problem unless they perceive that a problem exists and a solution is readily attainable. Opposition to wearing hearing aids usually stems from three main reasons. First is hearsay. Most everyone has friends or relatives who have purchased hearing aids currently residing in their dresser drawers. These unsuccessful wearers of amplification are more than happy to spread the gospel on the limitations (some accurate, some not) of hearing aids. Often, unsuccessful experiences occurred in extremely difficult listening environments in which even people with normal hearing had trouble understanding speech. Second, despite the fact that people of all ages have hearing impairment and use amplification, there’s an undeniable social stigma attached to wearing hearing aids. The problem of vanity has been eased, in part, by the continuing trend toward miniaturization of hearing devices. However, not all listeners with hearing loss are candidates for very tiny completely-in-the-canal hearing aids. Thus, stigma is likely to remain a difficult hurdle to overcome. The third main reason for opposition to hearing aid use is the perception that the relatively high cost of hearing aids is not reflected in the value and benefits they provide. When making a decision as to whether this is the right time for you to try hearing aids, you must weigh whether the financial investment can be offset by the improvement in your quality of life by reducing your hearing difficulty. Be sure to consider improvements from a social, emotional, and occupational perspective, also considering activities you would like to undertake but have given up because of communication difficulties. It’s a double-edged sword when it comes to dispensing hearing aids to a person who’s not motivated to wear amplification. On one hand, a poorly motivated person is not the best candidate for amplification regardless of the degree of hearing loss. So, from this perspective, the answer to the question of whether a steadfastly reluctant patient should be forced into trying a hearing aid is probably no. It may be difficult to undo the damage that may be done if the borderline candidate prematurely tries, and fails with amplification. If you’re absolutely opposed to trying hearing aids at this time, and if you’re convinced you’ll fail, it may be advisable to wait until another time when you may be more optimistic about the outcome. On the other hand, keep in mind that it’s very possible you will be pleasantly surprised. Remember that, as discussed later in this chapter, there have been more changes in hearing aids during the last few years than in the previous thirty. . . |
