What I am about to say may offend some people and, if so, I apologize up front. If you need hearing aids WEAR THEM. Your family, friends, business associates, etc. will thank you. They won't have to yell at you. Additionally, you will realize how loud you are talking because you can't hear yourself. Before my wife got hearing aids I was convinced that she didn't know how to whisper. She didn't realize she was speaking as loudly as she was. Some of the posters have mentioned a fear of getting "addicted" to the hearing aids. Unless your hearing loss is being caused by some medical condition that will improve with treatment and time, your hearing is not going to improve. It's only going to get worse. So put them in when you get up and don't take them out until you go to bed. It's just like wearing clothes.

My wife has been dealing with hearing loss for the past 35+ years. She has had multiple types and brands of hearing aids through those years so she (and I to a certain extent) have had ample opportunity to learn about both hearing loss and hearing aids. Her first ones were analog, which was the only thing available at the time. There was a comparatively big chunk of plastic that went behind her ear which she kept hidden with her hair. Then she went through a phase with the "in the ear" style. All along the hearing aids have progressively gotten better, but none will really recreate natural hearing.

The reason I advise going to an audiologist for a hearing test is because there are different kinds of hearing loss. If your hearing loss is a "flat line" on the graph you may only need something to increase the volume. However, for most people hearing loss varies depending on the tone of the sound. For example, my wife has less hearing loss in the higher tones (treble) than in the lower tones (bass). Her current HAs can be programed by the audiologist to compensate for that. She can also "fine tune" them for different environments (restaurant, home, outdoors, etc.) with her phone. For those who complain that their HAs don't help or work properly it's probably because they are not adjusted correctly for your particular hearing loss.

The reason I say if you need hearing aids, WEAR THEM is simple. It not only makes life easier for you. It also is helpful to those around you. I seldom even try to tell my wife anything before she puts her hearing aids in in the morning. I have to practically shout in order for her to hear me, much less understand. It makes life a lot easier when the HA wearer is not having to say "huh" all the time and the other person is not having to repeat him/herself multiple times at an increasingly louder volume.

Like many people, my wife was at first embarrassed that she needed hearing aids. She learned to compensate by reading lips and making pretty good guesses at what people were saying. She has finally learned that hearing loss is like any other medical condition. It is what it is and you have to deal with it. In private conversation, especially in a noisy environment like a restaurant, she still has trouble unless the person is facing her.

Just like your blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin, or any other medication you may need on a regular basis, hearing aids are there to do exactly that - aid your hearing. Wear them. Once you get used to the idea your spouse, friends, and all others with whom you interact will thank you. Who knows, you might even be able to hear the preacher and even get something positive out of his sermon.