The number of hearing impaired individuals in the Untied States is roughly 17 per 1,000 under the age of 18. That number jumps to 314 in every 1,000 for persons over the age of 65 that experience some type of hearing loss and this includes those who are completely deaf. Some type of hearing impairment affects nearly 28 million Americans according to a recent survey. Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in the United States, affecting men, women and children of all ages, across all socioeconomic levels and in all segments of the population. Occurrences of hearing loss increase with a person’s age; hereditary; trauma; disease or long time exposure to damaging noise or medications can all be culprits to a person’s hearing loss.

Only one in five people who could benefit from the use of a hearing aid actually wear one.  Many people believe they are not like glasses which could enhance one’s look; these people feel they are more bother than they are help. Studies have shown that these people have not given the hearing aids an opportunity to work for them and are not willing to make them work for them. 

There are digital hearing aids or analog hearing aids as well as adjustable or programmable hearing aids and the person who can best help an individual decide which hearing aid is best for them would be an audiologist, someone who works with the hearing impaired people and hearing aids to help the person adjust to the new hearing device as well as adjust the device itself.

As with all things, medical or other wise, a thorough investigation of what a hearing aid brand can do for a person is in order. Looking at hearing aids reviews is a good idea before purchasing a certain brand or trying out several models. The more a person knows about a hearing aid and the company that makes them, the better they will feel about using their medical device and how it will help them over time.