Ignoring hearing problems can mean missing out on beneficial treatment
A study carried out by the American Association of Retired People (AARP) investigated what may prevent people from seeking help if they thought they might have difficulty hearing. More than one-third (36%) said minor issues are easy enough to live with untreated.
Nearly three in ten said cost concerns would prevent them from getting help either because their health insurance does not sufficiently cover the cost (28%) or because they believe treatment would be too costly (27%).
Despite this, 76% stated in the same study that their hearing is an extremely important or very important concern for them. 85% also said that their hearing health is an extremely important or very important issue when it comes to their quality of life.
Eight out of ten even reported that they were extremely or very likely to have a hearing check-up if they believed they had an issue with their hearing.
The study also showed that almost three-quarters of hearing aid wearers had an improved quality of hearing since they began wearing hearing aids.
The Study
The study was carried out as a joint initiative between the American Association of Retired People (AARP) and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. The survey was fielded among a sample of 2,232 AARP members aged 50 and older.
Source: The State of Hearing Health: A Study of AARP Members, AARP