Choose to forego hearing aids, and you will experience a world that is very different than the one you used to know. The size and advancement of today’s hearing aids make it possible for nearly everyone to hear the world the way it’s supposed to be heard. Wearing a hearing aid does not mean you are advancing in age. It’s not the first step toward total hearing loss, but it does represent the beginning of a better quality of life for you and for those you love. We’ve shared below what a life without hearing aids "sounds" like. If you’d rather join the ranks of the hearing, contact a reputable hearing aid provider immediately.

• The hard of hearing don’t fully enjoy important events. Going to watch your granddaughter perform in her choir concert isn’t as memorable if you can’t hear her sing her solo. Plus, not hearing about future events makes it almost definite that you will inevitably miss one.

• The joy of music becomes a memory.

• Isolation sets in as you become a solitary individual. You become unable to participate in the audible world around you.

• Sign language is a possibility. To learn it, you will have to master hundreds of gestures. You will only be able to communicate with those who at least have a limited knowledge of the discipline.

The overriding question is, "If you CAN hear, why DON’T you?" Do not balk at getting fitted for hearing aids. A life without them is unnecessarily difficult. Deaf individuals who cannot be helped with cochlear implants would jump at the chance to have the ability to hear. Do not throw away your chance to be part of the hearing world.

Pride is one reason that people forego hearing aids for as long as possible. However, if modesty is the real underlying issue, choose from multiple hearing aids that fit snugly inside the inner ear and are barely detectable. So many hearing aids are available on the market today that it is inevitable that you will find one that works for you. Keep searching until you find it and enlist the help of a hearing aid professional during your search.