Unfortunately, when we have hearing deterioration and deny it or ignore it, that hearing defect has a high chance of worsening. This is known as auditory deprivation.

The brain needs continual sound stimulation from the ear to maintain its ability to process that sound efficiently. Auditory deprivation is the result of the brain gradually losing its ability to process information from the unaided ear, because of a continued lack of sound stimulation.

Auditory deprivation most often occurs when the ear goes unaided over a long period of time - so the earlier you consider wearing hearing aids, the better your chances are of minimizing this risk.

As we age, the wear and tear of life takes its toll, so the percentage of those suffering from hearing loss accelerates from the age of 50, when about 20 per cent of the population need attention. By the time we've reached 65 that figure rises to more than 60 per cent.

Frequently asked questions: If it is so important to do something about our hearing loss at an early stage, why do we not do it? A major reason for this is lack of awareness. Because hearing loss creeps up on us, most people are not aware of their level of hearing loss, or the fact it keeps deteriorating.

Once they become aware, a common reason for not doing anything is pretence. Many people try to hide the fact that they are losing their hearing, but as time goes on it becomes more difficult to keep up that pretence. This increases stress on the individual and their immediate family.

The third most common reason for not doing anything is the perceived cost of buying good quality hearing aids.

Why is cost such an issue for something as important as our hearing health? Cost is rarely an issue with anything we buy when we understand the benefits of what we're paying for. We readily spend a fortune running a car or enjoying luxuries like the latest digital TV or iPod, because we know the pleasure or value we will get from such things.

Actual costs of buying a quality hearing aid vary between GBP3 and GBP10 per week over its normal life of five years, depending on the features needed. Considering the massive benefits enjoyed, this is exceptional value for money.

If people realised just how good the latest digital hearing aids are and how good modern hearing care is, many more would be taking a trip to their local hearing practice.

Audiologists get their greatest fulfilment from dispensing hearing aids that bring the joy back into the lives of their patients. It is amazing how few people realise how fast a procedure it is to have digital hearing aids fitted and how effective they are.

A common remark by people who have just been fitted with good quality aids is: "I wish I had done this years ago!" What benefits has the latest digital technology brought to hearing aids? Digital technology enables signals to be processed in ways that are not possible with traditional analogue technology. Digital aids provide far more effective and personalised solutions to hearing problems by utilising complex digital signal processing (DSP).

It is this processing ability that enables whispers and subtle tones to be heard much more clearly.

Multiple Microphones improve speech understanding in noisy environments. Digital technology reacts very fast, turning the volume up for crucial speech sounds and down for louder ambient noises. It also protects you from sudden loud sounds.

Multiple programs give you the ability to change the manner in which the hearing aid processes sound as you move from one environment to another.

Multiple sound processing channels are utilised to tailor the amplification curve to your specific hearing loss.

Digital technology has also facilitated miniaturisation of circuitry and resultant shell size, resulting in aids so small you can hardly see them.

A National Council on the Ageing Survey found that untreated hearing loss results in serious emotional and social consequences. They also found that the biggest barrier 55 per cent of seniors have to overcome is their cost rather than value mindset with regard to hearing aids.

If they're able to overcome this and value the quality of their lives more, they're likely to consider investing in improving their ability to hear more clearly. They would then be able to enjoy their natural senses as nature always intended.

Source: http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2006/03/26/1489127.htm