Wellness

[dulwich]

Over the Holidays at various gatherings I met 4 people who, when introduced, were prefaced with - ‘speak up she’s bit deaf’, or ‘talk in his left ear’ etc. etc.

Just wondering are hearing aids hard to use?   None of the people I met used them or wanted to.

 Thankfully I do not need them but I realized after a while conversations around them go back to ‘normal’ level and they then are not part of the group anymore as people moved around some forgot to speak up, etc.

[kaydee50]

My mother, may she rest in peace, was hard of hearing.  She did have a hearing aid but she got frustrated with it, e.g, batteries needed to be replaced fairly frequently, so she missed out on a lot of what was going on around her.  IMO, contributed to her dementia.

Maybe hearing aids have improved, become easier to use but I'm sure at a price which, IMO, would be worth it.

[nana59]

some people just don't want to use them...my father was one of those people....or maybe some people just can't afford them....they can be very expensive.....

[CLHS68]

They are expensive. I have not had a problem with batteries. Mine last 7 -8 days. Batteries are not very expensive. I have noticed such a difference with mine. I only have an aide in one ear as the other was to bad nothing will help it. I think people do not understand hearing loss. The people look normal but are missing most of the conversation.

[I am still oxox]

I had a trial pair last year and I did not wear them enogh to get used to them, my insurance is changing so I will get back double the amount and I will persue them again in early 2020 

[dulwich]

@CLHS68   I so agree with your comment as after the initial greeting and brief conversations  these guests seemed to be kind of left out as obviously they could not hear most of the chatter going on around them.  It must be very hard.

You can tell by people’s eyes when they are not ‘getting’ the conversation.

 My DH, not deaf, but very Brit accent chats away to people and I see their eyes glaze over as they have not understood a word he is saying!  We are very used to this so I guess people hard of hearing know this too.

[ALRATIBA]

I've worn hearing aids for 15 years.  The biggest problem was gettng used to how noisy everythng was.  

I was still working at the time - and there was really no issues with them.  Technology has developed and the ones I have now (3rd pair) and fantastic.  Programmable for various environments.  I can adjust volume and switch programs easily.  

My only advice is don't go bargain hunting on your hearing aids (or eye glasses!).  

ETA:  I see my audiologist every 3 months.  He checks the devices and gives me a supply of batteries for the next three months .... all free of charge.  Service included in price of hearing aids.  Same audiologist for the past 15 years .... same service.

[Carmie]

I come from a family of a lot of hearing impaired individuals.  Hearing aids work some people and for others they don't work at all.

 My mother was almost completely deaf and she did wear a hearing aid in one ear and it Helped, but not well.  The other ear couldn't be helped. She could read lips and feel vibrations.  If you opened her bedroom door, she couldn't hear, but she could feel it.

I am adding that my mother said she would rather be blind, than deaf.  She said she missed out on a lot of life because of her disability she was born with.

My older sister is deaf in one ear and has several surgeries...which didn't work.  She can only hear in one ear and you have to be on that side of her or she can't hear you very well at all.

My father never wore hearing aids and was in denial about his hearing loss. He really talked loud and you had to scream for him to hear you.

My younger brother has hearing loss, but will not wear hearing aids either. He also talks loud and you have to yell or whe doesn't hear you.

My DH was in denial for years.  He now wears aids in both ears and they work.  He needs a new battery around every 36 hours and removes the aids and battery when he sleeps.  His hearing aid actually tells him " battery is low" when he needs a new one.

Some hearing aids make all noises loud, including those we only hear in the background.  Those noises drive people crazy, especially in a crowed area with a lot of people.  For this reason, many people can't wear them.

Over the years, I think aids have improved, but there are many different types of hearing loss and they don't work for everyone.

Some are extremely expensive and not everyone who needs one can afford one. 

[chlema]

I've worn hearing aids for over a year now.  I got them because I was tired of asking people "what" all the time.  Wear them in both ears and no, did not have any problems getting used to them, thank goodness.  Purchased them at Cosco for around $1,600 for the pair.  I wear them all the time (except for sleeping of course) and the batteries last about a week.  Batteries are inexpensive, a card lasts for 6 months and are priced at around $8 or $9 a card.  Needless to say I'm very happy with them.

[1Snickers]

WHAT!?...Even with my hearing aid, that's what I would be saying in a crowd. Mine has a "party" Chanel that cuts out background noise a bit. Problem is, then people sound like they are in a barrel. If I turn them up everything sounds loud so I assume I have to talk louder. Then, I'll told "shush, quieter". So, I don't talk much.  
    I have to be certain their conversation has paused before I talk. 

   I read lips some but it's very hard to have a conversation. My friends know this and will tell me if it's something really important. Usually. 
   The hearing aides help but the sound isn't like your real ears.