(ARA) - Are you all of a sudden having trouble understanding what people are saying to you? Do you often find yourself turning up the television to hear? If so, you may be one of the 31.5 million Americans who are considered hard of hearing.

Many people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help. Perhaps they don't want to acknowledge the problem, are embarrassed by what they see as a weakness, or believe that they can "get by" without using a hearing aid.

If your child broke an arm, you'd get a cast put on. If your mother could no longer walk, you'd get her a wheelchair. So why do millions of people - both young and old - choose to suffer in silence? Often, it's because they can't afford to get help.

The average hearing aid costs $1800 and many people require two of them. While 95 percent of people with hearing loss can be helped with hearing aids, only 23 percent currently use them, according to a study published in Hearing Review in July 2005.

"Many people don't realize that hearing aids are not covered under Medicare, or under the vast majority of state mandated insurance programs," says Dr. Sergei Kochkin, executive director of the Better Hearing Institute. Private insurance plans sometimes cover them. But over 70 percent of hearing aid purchases involve no third party payment, so consumers often bear the entire burden.

If you look hard enough, it is sometimes possible to find financial aid to defray the costs, according to Kochkin. He advises people to turn to state and local departments of social services, fraternal organizations like the Kiwanis and Lions Club International, or one of the other sources listed on the Better Hearing Institute Web site. (http://www.betterhearing.org, go to Resources/Financial Assistance)

Many advocates for people with hearing problems are pinning hopes on legislation now working its way through both houses of Congress, the Hearing Aid Tax Credit Act (H.R. 414 and S.1060). The bill would give a $500 tax credit to people who buy hearing aids, if they are age 55 or older or are buying them for a dependent child. Identical versions were introduced by Representative Jim Ryun (R-KS ) and Senator Norm Coleman (R-MN) in 2005.

Some say the bill is a good first step but much more needs to be done. "We support it, but it's not nearly enough," says Brenda Battat, associate executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, the nation's largest membership organization for the hearing-impaired. "A lot of our members ask us, `Why does it help only people who are 55 and older?' They are 40-something or younger, in the workplace, and they also need help."

According to Kochkin, about 40 percent of people with hearing loss make less than $30,000 a year. "A tax credit obviously isn't going to solve the cost problem completely but at least it will make a dent." The tax credit bill has picked up a growing number of sponsors in both houses of Congress but won't be voted on before the summer recess.

If you or a loved one are dealing with hearing loss, but can't afford hearing aids, there are some things you can do proactively to deal with the problem.

* Limit the amount of noise that enters the ear
* Maintain normal volume for music and other forms of entertainment
* Protect your hearing by wearing earplugs in noisy environments, such as when mowing the lawn or using power equipment
* Contact your local Congressman or Senator to support the pending tax credit legislation for hearing aids

For more advice on dealing with hearing loss, and to keep up with the latest on the pending legislation, log on to www.betterhearing.org.