Myth # 1 - Hearing Aids will make my hearing worse
NO! It is a common misconception that hearing aids will make your hearing worse. Many people compare hearing aids to wearing glasses, thinking that our ears will become "dependant" on the hearing aids or that their hearing will actually get worse. When it comes to our ears the old saying "use it or loose it" rings true. The auditory cortex, the part of our brain responsible for our hearing, relies on sound input to keep it working actively. When we have a hearing loss the amount of sound input reaching the auditory cortex is reduced. Studies have shown that in people with a long term hearing loss the auditory cortex is reduced in size in comparison to people with normal hearing. Scientists have concluded that the auditory cortex is only receiving a fraction of the normal level of sound input when a hearing loss is present, hence the brain will relegate what is "not being used" to another of our senses. This process is called "plasticity". Plasticity of the brain is often found in people who have lost the use of one of their senses, the brain will compensate by making another sense more active. For example blind people often have a heightened sense of hearing or smell.
Myth # 2 - One hearing aid should be enough
Yes and No. An audiologist will recommend either a pair (binaural fitting) or one (monaural fitting) hearing aid depending on the person's hearing loss. If the hearing test results indicates that the hearing loss is symmetrical in both ears then a binaural fitting is advised. Like with eyesight, gone are the days when monocles are fitted. You wouldn't think twice about being fitted with glasses when both eyes have a deficiency, would you? The same with hearing, if both ears have a hearing loss a binaural fit is advised to maintain balance of hearing. A monaural fitting is appropriate when there is a hearing loss only in one ear or if the loss in the other ear is too severe for a hearing aid.
Myth # 3 - Why don't the hearing aid batteries last as long as the watch batteries?
The work a hearing aid does is tremendously more than a watch. Imagine what a hearing aid does; the microphone picks up sound, the computer chip will calculate the appropriate amplification, then the receiver/speaker transmits the sound to the ear and all this is done in a hundredth of a second!
Myth # 4 - Those hearing aids that fit behind the ear are the old fashioned type NO! This is one of the largest misconceptions when it comes to linking the size of the hearing aid with the level of technology. Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids come in various levels of technology from the basic analogue right through to the state-of-the-art digital hearing aids. The main difference between hearing aid size is the amount of power (see article "Why are hearing aids different in size?"). BTEs are primarily fitted to people who have moderate-severe losses where the hearing level requires a certain level of power, or people who suffer from chronic ear infections, people who have poor manipulation due to arthritis, sometimes for comfort or to avoid feedback (whistling) or occlusion (hollow voice) issues.
NO! This is one of the largest misconceptions when it comes to linking the size of the hearing aid with the level of technology. Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids come in various levels of technology from the basic analogue right through to the state-of-the-art digital hearing aids. The main difference between hearing aid size is the amount of power (see article "Why are hearing aids different in size?"). BTEs are primarily fitted to people who have moderate-severe losses where the hearing level requires a certain level of power, or people who suffer from chronic ear infections, people who have poor manipulation due to arthritis, sometimes for comfort or to avoid feedback (whistling) or occlusion (hollow voice) issues.