Myths about Hearing Aids:

Hearing aids are not a cure for hearing loss

Hearing aids do not correct your hearing or return it to normal. They simply amplify sound.

Hearing aids will not always block out background noise

When you begin wearing a hearing aid(s), you will notice an increase in the noise levels around you. This noise has always been there, but with your hearing loss, you probably were not noticing the background noise before. It will take time for you to get used to hearing the louder sounds around you.

Lip-reading is necessary

If you rely only on hearing, you may not be able to understand all conversation. The poorer hearing becomes, the greater the difficulty you will have understanding conversation. To improve the ability to understand conversation, you can also use your eyes when listening. Watch the face of the person that is speaking. Even when wearing hearing aids, lipreading may be necessary to understand speech fully.

For more information see the Factsheet on ' An Introduction to Lip-reading'.