If your doctor has recommended that you be fitted for a hearing aid, you may not be very eager to follow his or her advice. Many people associate a hearing aid with getting older, or they may assume that a hearing aid will be very unsightly and awkward.
However, keep in mind that children and even babies may need a hearing aid, and today's devices can be very small and virtually invisible. There are also many advantages to having a hearing aid when necessary; note a few of those advantages here.
Safety
Being able to see potential hazards and dangers around you is not always enough to keep you safe; it's good to hear someone or something approaching you, especially when you're out in public and in a crowd, or even on a sidewalk. An oncoming biker or skater may not see you in time to avoid a collision, or they may warn you of their approach but, if you can't hear them, you may even step into their path!
When driving, being able to hear the sound of horns, sirens, squealing tyres and so on, can also allow for a faster reaction to such signs of potential danger. In the home, being able to hear the sizzling of a pan you forgot on the stove or the sound of water you left running for the tub can also keep you safe and reduce the risk of fires, floods and other such property damage.
Auditory cues
Auditory cues refer to signals you get through sounds, which many people take for granted. These cues can include an alarm clock, a doorbell, an oven timer, the beeping of a cell phone battery that is very low and the like. While you certainly can go without discerning these types of cues, being able to hear them easily can make your everyday schedule much easier on you overall.
Conversation
Being able to actually hear the words that another person says is only part of a successful conversation; you need to be able to discern a change in their tone of voice or pitch in order to understand the emotion they're conveying or to understand if they're asking a question versus making a statement. With proper hearing, you can discern emphasis on certain words, and nuances that can tell you when someone is joking or being sarcastic, versus being serious. Having a hearing aid can then help you to have easier and more effective conversations with people overall.