Am I Too Young to Wear Hearing Aids?

Woman sitting outside the house and thinking whether or not she should wear hearing aids

The answer to this question is no.  No one is ever too young to wear a hearing aid. Age should never be a factor in deciding whether or not anyone is a candidate for hearing aids.  It is not uncommon for much older individuals to wonder if they’ve waited too long to do something about their hearing loss.  They worry that they’re too old to wear hearing aids.

You are never too young to wear hearing aids or too old to wear hearing aids. Wearing hearing aids is based on whether or not you have a hearing loss that hearing aids will help..  Usually, people aren’t worried about being too young to wear hearing aids; they’re concerned that hearing aids make them look old.

Will Hearing Aids Make Me Look Old?

A hearing loss is viewed much differently today than it was 30 years ago.  As hearing aids became less noticeable, it became more socially acceptable to wear hearing aids.  Don’t worry that wearing hearing aids will not make you look old.  Instead, consider that the signs of hearing loss can mimic other disorders including dementia.   These signs can cause others to worry that about your cognitive well-being not realizing that you’re struggling to hear.

Signs of Hearing Loss

  1. Trouble following conversation in a group.
  2. Problems hearing especially in the presence of background noise
  3. Misunderstanding what someone is saying and responding inappropriately.
  4. Frequent repetitions are required to understand the conversation.

Signs of Dementia

  1. Problems with language, movements, or recognizing objects.
  2. Memory or concentration problems.
  3. Experiences difficulty following directions.
  4. Getting disoriented about time, people, and places.

If you have a hearing loss and you need to wear hearing aids, then you should.  And the sooner, the better.  Hearing aids will never be as noticeable as a hearing loss.