When her clinic began seeing patients again after the first surge of the pandemic in 2020, Marcie Jacobs, a clinical audiologist at Jacobs Audiology in southern Maryland had a revelation: Her hearing wasn’t as good as she thought.
“The masks were muffling words, and I couldn’t hear a thing,” she says. “Part of my job is to really listen and figure out where patients are struggling and what their needs are, and I could not hear them. It was awful.”
As an audiologist, Jacobs says she’d evaluated many patients who explained how socially isolating their hearing loss is. Participating in conversations was anxiety-producing and embarrassing, they said, because you were constantly having to ask people to repeat themselves or afraid you were misinterpreting what people were talking about.
“Suddenly I was walking in their shoes,” she says. “It was really rough.”
Jacobs had a hearing test, got fitted for hearing aids, and her problems were fixed. Conversations sprang back to life. She could hear her patients — even through masks — and do her job.
What Might Be Holding You Back
More than 37.5 million U.S. adults live with some level of hearing loss, but of that number, fewer than 30% use hearing aids to improve their hearing. For many, the cost can be a hurdle, but for some, simply the thought of needing a device to hear gives them pause.
“Research on opposition to hearing aid use varies, but it’s estimated that approximately 40% of adults who put off hearing aids identify stigma as a reason for resistance,” says Bria Collins, AuD, associate director of audiology practices at The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). “We don’t see this stigma with regards to wearing eyeglasses, but for some reason, the use of hearing aids may lead to a person feeling ‘old.’”
The cost is no small hurdle, either. Medicare doesn’t cover hearing aids, and many private insurers have little to no coverage for them. A National Council on Aging (NCOA) survey in 2018 reported that 74% of those in the U.S. couldn’t afford hearing aids.
“Access to audiological care and affordability is problematic,” says Collins.
In addition to these setbacks, resistance to getting hearing aids can sometimes stem simply from denial. You may explain hearing struggles by saying others are mumbling or not talking loud enough, or by subconsciously filling in gaps in conversations with other skills, such as visual cues or lip reading, says Collins.
“Hearing loss often occurs gradually over time, so a listener may not realize the hearing loss is present for several years,” she says.
How Hearing Aids Help
The technology of hearing aids has come a long way in recent years. They do more than just make sounds louder; they can help you hear the sounds you want to hear when many noises are present. A one-on-one conversation in a quiet room isn’t likely to cause issues, but in a restaurant or at a social gathering with a lot of background noise, a hearing aid can make a world of difference in how you’re able to participate in the scene.
“Most hearing aids on the market now are digital hearing aids,” says Collins. “Before digital hearing aids hit the market in the mid-1990s, hearing aids were analog, and they were limited with sound customization and amplified all sounds in the listener's environment.”
Now, a computer chip reduces background noise and wind noise while enhancing speech sounds to help you hear better in noisy listening environments. Other options such as Bluetooth connectivity make television watching and phone conversations more accessible.
“Bluetooth capability was an absolute game changer,” says Jacobs. “It makes hearing aids like a wireless headset, and you can directly stream calls, music, GPS, anything. I've had patients who haven't been able to talk on the phone in years who can now actually make calls from a cellphone. It’s incredible.”
If your hearing loss is significant to the point where hearing aids only give you limited help, you may need a cochlear implant. These devices are surgically implanted, electronic prosthetic devices that stimulate the auditory nerve fibers in your cochlea (the part of your inner ear involved in hearing) directly.
“It effectively bypasses damaged inner ear hair cells to deliver a signal to the brain, which is then interpreted as sound,” says Collins. “Hearing aids are acoustic amplification of sounds, and a non-surgical option. Cochlear implants are electric hearing, and a surgical option.”
Where to Begin
If you suspect your hearing isn’t what it used to be, your first step is to see an audiologist. Audiologists evaluate your hearing and assess your communication needs. They’re also trained to fit you for the correct device to help you hear.
“A person could have access to the most advanced hearing aid technology on the market, but without a skilled audiologist to program, verify, and educate the listener on the use, expectations, and capabilities of the technology, the user may not be able to maximize their benefit from these devices,” says Collins.
Although there are some online hearing tests available, Jacobs says these aren’t reliable.
“Go get your hearing tested by an audiologist; that's the very first thing you want to do,” she says. “And if you have hearing loss, then you can sit and talk about your options and treat it.”
Takeaway
Beyond the benefit of hearing the world better, assistive devices can be a huge boost to your overall well-being and quality of life. When you improve your hearing, you improve:
- Cognitive health
- Balance
- Mood
- Social connection
“Being social is what separates us from other animals,” says Jacobs. “Not being able to communicate for fear of looking ridiculous or saying something inappropriate, that leads to loneliness, and loneliness can lead to depression. But there is a fix for it. One of the coolest parts of my job is the 2-week follow-up after a hearing aid fitting. Patients come in like completely different people. It is so incredibly rewarding. I have the best job on the planet.”
Show Sources
Photo Credit: iStock / Getty Images
SOURCES:
Marcie Jacobs, clinical audiologist, Jacobs Audiology, Maryland.
Bria Collins, AuD, associate director, audiology practices, The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA).
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: “Quick Statistics About Hearing.”
National Council on Aging: “Only 1 in 6 Americans with Hearing Loss Wears Hearing Aids—Here’s Why.”
Johns Hopkins Medicine: “What is an Audiologist?”
The Eye and Ear Foundation of Pittsburgh: “Everything You Need to Know About Hearing Aids.”
