Living with Hearing Loss
Imagine you live near the town center and enjoy hearing the church bells ring on the hour. You love birds and are delighted by their songs each morning and evening.
One day, you notice that you haven’t heard the church bells in a while and wonder if they’re broken and when they’ll be fixed. You miss hearing that gentle ringing sound throughout the day. And what has happened with the birds? Why are they not singing as much anymore?
In 2014, I realized I was no longer hearing the sounds I had come to appreciate, including the church bells and birdsong. I also wondered why everyone at work was mumbling. It finally dawned on me that I was the one with the problem, not my mumbling colleagues.
My next step included appointments with otolaryngology and audiology doctors to have my ears checked and hearing tested. It turned out that I had moderate hearing loss, and the audiologist recommended hearing aids.
It was hard to accept the diagnosis. I was in my late 40s and divorced two years prior. It was a blow to my self-esteem, and I became mildly depressed as I wondered if anyone would want to date someone with all my “deficiencies.” These feelings are common, as research shows there are still stigmas around hearing loss and wearing hearing devices.
But wearing the hearing aids was also a game-changer for me. I could hear sounds I didn’t realize I’d missed for the first time in years and was having better conversations with family, friends, and colleagues. It was only after wearing the hearing aids for a few weeks that I realized how exhausting it had been to try to read lips and make out sounds to understand what people were saying. None of my fears came to pass.
Plus, with today’s technology, I can take a phone call or stream music or a podcast through the hearing aids. I can adjust the volume for a quiet train ride home from work.
Hearing loss can come from exposure to loud noises like music and power tools. It can also come from the build-up of ear wax or a ruptured eardrum. Certain medications that damage the inner ear and health conditions such as diabetes or heart disease can also contribute to hearing loss. There may also be a genetic component to hearing loss that shows up later in life.
Hearing is one of our five senses and one that we often take for granted. Hearing loss usually happens gradually but can significantly impact a person’s health and well-being. Social situations are difficult with untreated hearing loss, so it can be easier to avoid people than endure the embarrassment of misunderstanding what someone is saying to you.
According to the World Health Organization, “The impacts of hearing loss are broad and can be profound. They include a loss of the ability to communicate with others… which can lead to social isolation, loneliness and frustration, particularly among older people with hearing loss.”
I’m sharing this story to encourage everyone to care for their hearing by wearing protection around loud noises and to seek out a good audiologist (not at a large, franchised hearing store*) if you have difficulty understanding others or notice other changes in your ability to hear or communicate with others.
I’m on my third set of hearing aids, and I cannot imagine life without them now.
* While some excellent audiologists may be employed by hearing stores, my family’s experience has been that those locations focus more on making product sales than providing high-quality, individualized hearing care.
Note: Medicare does not cover hearing aids. If you have employer-sponsored insurance and suspect you may have hearing loss, get tested while you still have private insurance. A good health plan will cover a significant portion of the cost of hearing aids.