Hearing loss affects my family in two ways: I am the parent of a child with hearing loss, and I have hearing loss myself. We both wear hearing aids – mornings are generally a shuffle of battery testing, sound checks, and equipment tuning.

A fact of life for anyone who wears hearing aids, cochlear implants, or who uses ASL is the stigma that is automatically attached to hearing loss. Hearing loss simply means that we have difficulties hearing and either wear assistive devices to help us communicate, or use another language to do so.

Hearing loss is one of the most misunderstood health conditions, and it is also one of the most undiagnosed conditions. Check out this infographic on Hearing Loss in America (designed by www.hearingloss.com). It’s full of information on hearing loss, how it occurs, how it affects our lives, and—more importantly—how it can be effectively treated with the right combination of certified provider, treatment plan, and technology.

Making the decision to treat your hearing loss is not an admission of defeat, it simply means getting the help you need to communicate better.