Hearing Aid Use By Teenagers

There is a common misconception that everyone disdains or does not like to use hearing aids, especially teenagers. Often it believed that they do not wear them because the do not want to be different. Everybody looks back to his or her teenage years as a time when it was difficult to be different, such as, wearing eyeglasses and being called "four eyes." This analogy is carried over to hearing aid use. Many professionals have the opinion that teenagers do not wear their hearing aids even though it does help them to hear better. In a poll among hearing aid dispensers and audiologists, the responses have been inconsistent. Professionals have stories of both compliance, because they are helpful; and non-compliance, because the person appears different.

Lidia Lee, Ph.D., at the University of Northern Illinois recently completed a study of twelve (12) teenagers and the use of hearing aids, which outlined the first public position in this topic. The study indicated acceptance and satisfaction of different types of hearing aids with teenagers; including, conventional hearing aids, hearing aids with remote controls using different programs and hearing aids with a variety of advanced technology systems.

The conclusion was teenagers were more concerned about sound quality and the ability to hear well in a variety of listening situations, especially at school, rather than physical appearance. Several of the teenagers reported greater satisfaction with the most advanced hearing aids as compared to conventional hearing aids. Most are willing to use larger hearing instruments or to use a remote control if it would help them hear well. Although this is a small sample, it does suggest that teenagers accept hearing aid use if it delivers better listening and sound quality, especially in school situations.

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