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The Golden Bachelor Wears Hearing Aids – Don’t Know if He Has Tinnitus


little boy wearing hearing aid; tinnitus concept

Hearing aids aren't often discussed without some embarrassment. Needing hearing aids is akin to letting your hair go gray; an acknowledgment of aging.

The Golden Bachelor, a reality dating show on ABC, stars stars 72-year-old Gerry Turner, a retired restauranter and widower, who is looking for love among 60- to 75-year-old contestants.

And when Turner told USA Today that it's "important" for fans to know that hearing loss is often part of aging and nothing to be ashamed of, he did a great service for people who wear hearing aids. In the interview, Turner said "I don't want anyone to feel like they have a disadvantage or that they have something to be a little embarrassed about." 

He added "that there's nothing wrong with showing the signs of age, and said he didn't feel awkward about using hearing aids."

According to the National Institute for Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIH), nearly 30 million American adults need hearing aids -- but only about 16% of people between the ages of 20 and 69 use them. Citing statistics from the Hearing Loss Association of America, Forbes Health notes that the number is more like 48 million.

Although some people with hearing loss never develop tinnitus, hearing loss is strongly associated with tinnitus says the NIH. In fact, "hearing aids are one of the main treatment options for people with tinnitus who have hearing loss. They amplify external noises, allowing you to better engage with the world, while also making your tinnitus less noticeable."

And certainly not everyone who wears a hearing aid is old. The NIH says 2 to 3 children out of every 1,000 in the U.S. are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears.

As celebrities speak out about conditions like hearing loss and tinnitus, it will become more socially acceptable to wear hearing aids -- for both young and old.

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