Hope Lanter explains why people wait 7 to 10 years before getting hearing aids, even though hearing loss develops gradually and often goes underestimated. She addresses the stigma around hearing aids and urges you to get tested now instead of waiting.
Most people wait an average of about 7 to 10 years before they get hearing aids. So that's from the first time they noticed any difficulty with their hearing to actually doing something about it. Hearing loss is kind of sneaky. It's not something that happens overnight. It's not something that means you don't hear anything. You don't hear parts of things, so it's easy to trick yourself into thinking, "Well, it's not so bad. I can hear okay." Also, it's one of those things that nobody really wants. There's a stigma. It's an acceptance of something that you don't want to accept, or something you don't want to buy, or something you don't want to wear. Today is the day that you don't have to do that anymore. Get your hearing tested, see where things stand, and then you can go from there.
