It is very tough for some individuals to admit to themselves that their hearing is not as good as it used to be.
In certain ways, it is a harder admission to make than that one has to have spectacles.
After all, you can kind of fudge things as your hearing goes by lip reading or turning up the sound.
You have to be honest with yourself, if you know that something is wrong or if your partner says that the TV is too loud.
You can delude yourself that you are not losing your hearing, but you cannot fool others.
Well, not for very long anyway.
So, basically, your option is to admit your difficulty to yourself or say that everybody else is wrong.
The sensible solution is to go to a doctor and have your hearing tested.
And, although I do not want to forecast the outcome, the probability is that your hearing will be found wanting, although it may be found that you have a disease of the ear, which when put right will restore your hearing.
Otherwise, the alternatives are: a life of struggle; utilizing a hearing trumpet or getting an electronic hearing aid.
The obvious answer is to opt for the electronic hearing aid which is fairly small and unobtrusive.
Barely noticeable, in fact.
Once you make a decision that you need a hearing aid, then the complexity of choice commences.
There are basically four kinds of hearing aids and they can then be either analogue or digital.
The four designs are: Completely In the Canal (CIC): these devices are almost imperceptible, because they are custom made.
They are most suitable for those suffering from mild to moderate loss of hearing.
In The Canal (ITC): this unit is larger and will cope with a wider scope of hearing impairment.
In The Ear (ITE): these systems are custom-made to match the patient's ear and are a little larger than the ITC models.
Behind The Ear (BTE): this is the most widespread kind of hearing aid and can be adjusted to suit many conditions of impaired hearing.
There are some individuals who should not wear a hearing aid just because their hearing is not up to mark.
The main category here is children.
Children take a variety of paths to adulthood and one of these routes involves a slower development of their hearing.
This is especially true of the under sevens.
If you think that your child might fall into this group, you ought to consult a doctor.
It may be the result either of a hearing impairment of a disease.
Deaf aids have come a very long way from the days of cupping one's hands behind one's ears or using a listening trumpet.
They have even come a very long way from the huge battery deaf aids of the twenties and thirties.
Nowadays, you have the option of analogue or digital hearing aids.
Analogue devices are very good, but going digital is the same as making the transition from vinyl records to CD's.