When a person is going through the gradual loss of a sense or function, they can become embarrassed and feel isolated in the experience. They may not realize how their withdrawal from family, social, work-related and simple life events makes their family and friends worry about them. But all he or she can think about his how they are constantly asking their family and friends to repeat things they say or that other people say. They don't want to be a bother to them, so they just stay home more. They don't want to misunderstand other people so they try to avoid phone calls and stick with mail or email these days. But their friends and family tend to express their frustration in these situations because they want to simply enjoy the spontaneity and ease of a phone conversation or a chat over lunch or dinner like they used to. But now the person losing their hearing is saving their straining for work or moments in life when they absolutely have to such as the grocery store and doctor's office. But they may sometimes avoid telling their general doctor about any loss unless the doctor notices because they don't want to be told, that as they are aging, they are losing yet another thing. Or, they don't want to be told to get a hearing aid.

There are many adults across this country who put off treatment because they feel that their loss is temporary. The truth is, there is only one way to get back what the effect of aging and use has had on his or her ears and that is with a hearing aid. These devices have improved so much that there are options to accommodate all of the cosmetic and auditory needs of the wearers of any age. No one has to be embarrassed with what they think family, friends, and strangers are going to think about a device protruding from their ear(s).

The wearers can overcome the social stigma of a hearing aid by seeing that understanding the world and going out and living one's life is nothing to be embarrassed about. The fact is 1 in 10 Americans will have to deal with some form of hearing loss in their lifetime, so why should anyone feel uncomfortable about wearing one at 40 or 50 instead of 70 or 80 like so many other people. The age at which they diminish in quality of auditory function depends on one's genetics and how they used their ears throughout their lives. There shouldn't be any shame in aging at any pace.