Experts advocate that Chinese people should accept hearing aids like eyeglasses Hearing aids and eyeglasses – one improves hearing and the other improves vision – are treated very differently in China, despite their similarity in function. People may think that wearing glasses is a symbol of sophistication and class, and discriminate against people who wear hearing aids. Zhang Hua, chief physician of the Department of Otolaryngology at Beijing Tongren Hospital, encounters many children who must wear hearing aids, but whose parents often hesitate long enough to ask, “Is there a hearing aid for the invisible?” This is because they worry that their child will be looked down upon by his or her peers if they wear a hearing aid to school. The same concern also happens to adults, and many elderly people consider wearing hearing aids to be a sign of severe aging and feel ashamed. “This mentality of the Chinese people towards hearing aids seriously affects the use of hearing aids. In contrast, patients abroad are able to wear their hearing aids in a more timely manner.” Zhang Hua believes that there is no difference in the nature of hearing aids and glasses, and that neither bad hearing nor bad vision should be a matter of shame. Another reason why hearing aids are discriminated against is that people think that hearing is not a problem, especially the elderly, so they can listen to less gossip and have peace of mind. In this regard, Zhang Hua listed the data from an authoritative foreign study (Professor Silverman Carol’s study in 2006), which showed that in two groups of patients with asymmetric sensorineural deafness, the group without hearing aids had a 17% decrease in speech discrimination within two years, and the number of people with a significant decrease in discrimination was as high as 43.8%. For many people who are hard of hearing, refusing hearing aids can save face, but it can slowly alienate them from society and create a deeper and deeper disconnection from their loved ones and friends. Many elderly friends who visit Tong Ren Hospital for ear care tell doctors that they not only become silent but also feel depressed and melancholy every day because they cannot hear the conversations of people around them. For children, who are in their prime time to learn language, lack of normal hearing will seriously delay their healthy physical and mental growth. There are some signs of hearing impairment that are worth noting. In his clinical practice, Zhang Hua found that some children speak with a loud tongue, which is also a lack of hearing. Zhang Hua writes in his personal website, “If your child is diagnosed with hearing loss and is recommended to have a hearing aid, please adjust your mind quickly and face it strongly for the sake of your child, and go to a professional hearing aid fitting clinic as soon as possible.” Therefore, Zhang Hua sincerely hopes that the whole society can face up to hearing aids and hearing deficiency.