There was a time when glasses were stigmatized. Now, not only are they normal, they’ve become so fashionable that many choose to wear stylish frames even if they don’t require corrective lenses.
Kim Galick, owner of Ears Hearing Clinic in Langley, hopes the same societal shift can happen for hearing aids.
“The stigma associated with hearing aids holds a lot of people back from getting life-changing help. This is particularly true among young people, but is common with older adults too. People of all ages experience hearing loss, and wearing hearing aids is normal,” she says.
Need hearing aids? You’re not alone
Alicia Haque is a Vancouver-based travel and fashion content creator who recently shared that she started wearing hearing aids around age 30.
“This was a really big thing for me to share. I knew I had to talk about it at some point, I just wasn’t ready. But I’m glad that I have, and I hope that it will help even just one person to feel more empowered to go get a test or feel a bit less alone,” she said in an Instagram post.
Kim Galick came across Alicia’s story online, and immediately recognized many similarities with her own clients at Ears Hearing Clinic.
“It’s often family members who first notice hearing loss in a loved one, but it can take time before they get tested. It’s a personal decision. But I do think the hesitation is partly due to the stigma around hearing aids,” Kim says.
Alicia’s hearing loss became more apparent during the pandemic, when face masks meant she could no longer rely on lip-reading. She also realized that hearing loss was affecting her lifestyle — she stopped going to yoga classes a year or two prior, because it was difficult to hear her instructor’s soft voice in a large room. She’d also turned down public speaking opportunities because it was difficult to hear audience questions.
Wearing hearing aids won’t bring back lost hearing, and it can take time to adjust. But hearing aids can empower people with hearing loss to live more independently and engage more fully in the world.
“If you have hearing loss, you may rely on others to relay messages, and your brain will work extra hard to decipher what people are saying,” Kim says. “That energy is freed up once you’re fitted for hearing aids, and you may enjoy more independence too.”
For a free hearing consultation and more hearing advice, call Kim Galick at Ears Hearing Clinic, 604-427-2828 or email info@earslangley.com. Find Ears Hearing at Unit C 20568 56 Ave. in Langley, online at earslangley.com and on Facebook.