Hearing health: close-up on common misconceptions about hearing and hearing aids

Publication Optical Center, written by Manu Gosselinois 03.09.2019 - 13h58

1) Hearing aids are only for elderly persons

No, they’re not! Hearing troubles affect everybody. Hearing aids can be adjusted to hearing problems and the ear’s size but also to the patient’s lifestyle and budget.

2) Only children suffer from otitis

Not true. As with children, adults may suffer from labyrinthites or otitis media. The symptoms are the same, including severe pain, often with buzzing, fever, hearing loss and, in some cases, headaches. They are generally caused by earwax blockage, a swimming-induced infection in the hearing canal, a severe difference in air pressure, an aggravated cold, or a violent impact on the eardrum.

3) Listening to loud music is what ruins your hearing

Wrong. Extended listening is enough to ruin your hearing even when the sound is not turned completely up. Earphones must be used in a responsible and moderate fashion. So, here’s some advice: take breaks and don’t turn up the volume just to cover up outside sounds.

4) All hearing aids are the same and are just as ugly

No. In fact there are three types of hearing aid and they are all discrete to a certain agree. Receiver-in-ear hearing aids are smaller than behind-the-ear ones but consume less than in-the-ear ones, which are the most discreet as they are custom-moulded and are placed directly in the ear canal.

5) Hearing loss is always final

True and false. Sudden hearing loss may be temporary. It often results from a medical emergency, such as an acoustic trauma, stress, an infectious illness, a vascular disorder, taking of medicine, a tumour, head trauma, etc. The longer you wait, the less chance you have of recovering. However, if sensory cells are destroyed, no recovery is possible.