Whenever you hear someone mention hearing loss, or read about it somewhere, what’s the first thing that comes to your mind? You’re probably picturing older, hard-of-hearing folks that constantly ask you to repeat yourself. Or, maybe you just think it’s an age problem, in general, that you’ll face someday when you’re older? Would it surprise you to know that’s not the reality at all? Hearing loss actually affects people of all ages and all backgrounds. And a recent study reveals just how prevalent the problem really is.

We now know that 30 million Americans, age 12 and over, have hearing loss in both ears, discovered via standard hearing examinations. If we do the math, that’s about 1 in every 8 people in the United States — or 13%. That’s more common than you might think. Just imagine a group of your friends gathering together, having some fun. Statistically, at least one of those people is suffering from some form of hearing loss.

The problem doesn’t always come from what you might expect, either. For instance, a misconception is that only loud noises can cause hearing loss, like loud music at a concert, or shrieking noises in everyday life. But hearing loss doesn’t happen suddenly, which means the damage can be slowly done to your ears without you knowing — such as while regularly wearing earbuds or headphones.

Dispelling some of the myths about hearing loss

Thanks to a report from Dr. Jenn Schumacher, an audiologist at Resound, we can discuss and quash some of the more common myths about hearing loss.

Myth: Only the elderly experience hearing loss.

That’s the funny thing about hearing loss. It can happen to anyone, at any age. In fact, the earlier you recognize the symptoms the better, that’s why it’s important to get regular health checkups with hearing examinations.

Not to focus on yours truly, but I have suffered with mild hearing loss for a long time. Even since I was little, I always had problems passing hearing loss examinations. While today the symptoms are much more obvious for me, back then, that was certainly not the case.

Myth: If I had hearing loss, I’d already know.

Hearing loss tends to happen gradually. Sure, it can happen suddenly for some, but the gradual degradation means you may not even realize your hearing is getting worse. Some people may not even realize they have hearing issues until another friend, family member, colleague, or peer points it out.

Moreover, as hearing gets worse, we tend to adapt gradually, as well. That means slightly turning up the TV, headphones, or audio sources now and then, without realizing how loud the volume truly is. That reduces the possibility of sudden realization, highlighting how important it is to get regular checkups.

Myth: Hearing aids restore hearing to normal.

It’s true that for anyone suffering hearing loss, hearing aids can significantly improve quality of life, but this effect is nothing more than temporary. Hearing aids are valuable, and while they’re used, they offer a ton of excellent auditory feedback, but that’s just it, they don’t fix damaged ears or long-term hearing loss. They don’t “cure” anything.

They help the disabled overcome a lack of audibility, caused by hearing loss, which means they receive more responsive auditory input to stay engaged, social, and live normal lives.

Myth: Hearing loss happens suddenly.

Wrong. It’s rare that hearing loss happens suddenly. That can occur due to an accident or physical injury, of course. But most hearing loss happens gradually over an extended period. Because it takes years, you may even be experiencing hearing loss symptoms and not even know it.

Some common signs include difficulty hearing others when they speak, misunderstanding what others say, asking others to repeat themselves, struggling to follow conversations — in person and over the phone — and difficulty engaging with others in loud environments. The latter doesn’t necessarily mean a super loud concert venue either. It could just be a crowded room at a social gathering. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, you should seek out a professional.

Myth: I only need help if my hearing loss is bad.

The earlier you seek help, the better. So, if you notice any symptoms at all, it’s best to get yourself checked professionally to be sure.

Another funny thing about hearing loss is that the longer you live with it, regardless of the damage, the more difficult it is to adapt to auditory input later. Meaning, when you eventually get hearing aids or use them, your brain will have trouble adjusting to the auditory input. Plus, you tend to lose out on social engagements and naturally retreat in many ways, refusing to engage or interact with others due to your hearing loss. That’s not healthy for anyone.

Myth: Hearing aids are bulky and make you look silly.

Thanks to modern technologies, design upgrades, and more capable components, hearing aids have become smaller, more invisible, and more stylish, too. There are a lot of wireless and modern hearing aids, for example, that resemble earbuds. Even better, they now include advanced technology to vastly improve your experience. A great example is the ReSound Vivia which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve the ability to hear speech patterns even in noisy environments. If you’ve ever had trouble hearing others in a loud place like a restaurant, the Vivia are designed to solve that.

They also connect seamlessly via Bluetooth LE and Auracast. For those not in the know, the Bluetooth allows you to connect wirelessly to devices like mobile phones, game consoles, and more. While the Auracast broadcast support works in public places like movie theaters, entertainment venues, and so on.

We haven’t even talked about the huge boost in battery life the Vivia offer yet, despite their minimal size. It really drives home the point that modern hearing aids are not what you’d think. They’re not bulky. They’re not outdated. They don’t look any sillier or stranger than wearing headphones or earbuds — which a lot of people do these days, anyway.

This story was originally shared by Resound.