Ever since I have been in the hearing aid industry since 1987 when I started my training there has and always will be a stigma, reluctance, denial call it what you will, there is a certain percentage of people will not acknowledge they are having difficulty hearing and this can become the butt of jokes, teasing or shear frustration amongst family and friends.
Hearing loss causes come in many forms most commonly Presbyacusis which is usually a slow progressive sensorineural (nerve) hearing loss that is part of the ageing process. Most often someone else will notice that your not hearing as well before you realise their could be an issue. If someone suddenly loses their hearing commonly by their ears being blocked with wax then they are desperate to have their ears cleared as this sudden onset is alarming and quite distressing.
More recent studies are now highlighting the link with hearing loss and dementia and so the brain which is not receiving the hearing information it needs to be able to process sound can further the onset of dementia so the earlier a hearing loss is discovered and treated by the use of hearing aids then this will help preserve the brain and slow or prevent the onset of dementia as the growing evidence in these studies are proving. https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/news/2018-05-02/study-confirms-link-between-hearing-loss-and-dementia-older-adults