Nowadays People With Hearing Loss Don’t Feel as Stigmatized

John's been experiencing trouble hearing at work. He's in denial and continues telling himself that everyone is speaking unclearly. He thinks that you have to be old to use hearing aids, so he hasn't scheduled a hearing exam and has been avoiding a hearing exam. Unfortunately, he's been pumping up the volume on his earbuds in the meantime and doing significant damage to his hearing. So, sadly, his denial has stopped him from seeking help.

But John's perspective is older than he realizes. Because the stigma around hearing loss is becoming less prevalent. While in some groups, there’s still a stigma surrounding hearing loss, it’s far less apparent than it was previously, especially among younger people. (Ironic isn't it?)

How Can Hearing Loss Stigma be Harmful?

The social and cultural connections with hearing loss can be, to put it simply, not true and not beneficial. For some, hearing loss may be seen as an indication of old age or a loss of vigor. People are often concerned that they could lose social standing if others recognize they suffer from hearing loss. They feel like they may look old and come off as less "cool".

This issue could be thought of as insignificant and not associated with reality. But there are some very real consequences for individuals who are attempting to deal with the stigma around hearing loss. Some examples include:

• Challenges in your relationships (Your not just tuning people ot, you just can't hear them very well).
• Putting of on hearing loss treatment (causing needless troubled and undesirable results).
• Career obstacles (Maybe you were attending a meeting and you didn't quite make out some relevant point).
• Job hunting problems (it’s sad to say, but some people may buy into the stigmas around hearing loss even if it’s not entirely legal).

This list could continue for quite some time, but you probably get the point.

Thankfully, changes are happening, and It seems as though the stigma of hearing loss is truly going away.

The Reasons For The Decrease of Hearing Loss Stigma

This decrease in hearing loss stigma is taking place for a number of reasons. Our relationship with technology in addition to demographic changes in our population have started to change how we experience devices like hearing aids.

More Younger Adults Are Suffering From Hearing Loss

Younger adults are suffering from hearing loss more frequently and that could certainly be the number one reason for the decline in the stigma connected to it.

34 million U.S. citizens deal with hearing loss according to most statical research, which translates into 1 in 10 people. More than likely, loud sounds from a number of modern sources are the leading reason why this loss of hearing is more prevalent than ever before.

There's more discussion and understanding about hearing loss as it becomes more common.

We’re More Comfortable With Technology

Maybe you were worried that your first set of hearing aids would cause you to look old so you resisted wearing them. But today hearing aids nearly blend in completely. No one notices them. This is also, partly, because hearing aids are smaller than ever and in the majority of instances are very discreet.

But often hearing aids go unobserved because today, everyone has some technology in their ears. Technology itself is simply so pervasive (and individual) that no one even pays attention when you have a tiny piece of helpful technology yourself.

A Shift in Thinking Long Overdue

Naturally, those two reasons are not the only causes for the retreat of hearing loss stigma. Much more is commonly understood about loss of hearing and there are even celebrities that have told the public about their own hearing loss conditions.

The more we see hearing loss in the world, the less stigma there will be. Of course, now we want to do all we can to stop hearing loss. The ideal would be to reverse the trends in youth hearing loss while battling against hearing loss stigma.

But more people will come around to seeing a hearing professional as this stigma fades away. This will help improve general hearing health and keep everybody hearing better longer.