What is pissing you off this time?

orthodoc · 09-30-2013, 04:49 PM

Hearing aids don't make noisy environments perfect, but they improve things. Part of the problem is that, when you first get your new aids, your brain has lost practice at distinguishing certain sounds. Along with my aids I was given a multi-lesson course by the audiologist to get me hearing accurately again. It took time.

It was emotional for me the first time I drove home with my aids in, got out of the car, and heard the birds. I could hear every little thing, and I knew then what I'd been missing. They say people hate hearing aids at first and have to work up to using them, but for me it was like being blind and suddenly having vision. You couldn't persuade me to take my aids out.

I will say, I still hate hearing appliances running. But that's a very very small price to pay.

PS @foot - if you can't distinguish speech from background sounds, you might want to think about getting an audiogram done and getting at least one hearing aid. Pure tone loss lags far behind the ability to distinguish speech.

monster · 10-01-2013, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orthodoc

but for me it was like being blind and suddenly having vision.

you don't think that would be traumatic and maybe scary and overwhelming for the majority experiencing it?

orthodoc · 10-01-2013, 08:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by monster

you don't think that would be traumatic and maybe scary and overwhelming for the majority experiencing it?

For someone who has had hearing to any reasonable degree and then lost it, no ... just as it wouldn't be traumatic for someone who had had sight, lost it for a period of time, and then regained it. It does take time to get used to hearing so many things again; your brain doesn't filter out background noise as it used to, so the noise of a refrigerator may be intrusive. After a few weeks, your brain filters things again. Your voice sounds weird with the hearing aids for a period of time but again, your brain learns to process that better and you get past that hurdle. But the sheer joy of hearing all those noises, and hearing your family when they talk to you ... priceless.

09-30-2013, 04:49 PM	#1
orthodoc Not Suspicious, Merely Canadian Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3,774	Hearing aids don't make noisy environments perfect, but they improve things. Part of the problem is that, when you first get your new aids, your brain has lost practice at distinguishing certain sounds. Along with my aids I was given a multi-lesson course by the audiologist to get me hearing accurately again. It took time. It was emotional for me the first time I drove home with my aids in, got out of the car, and heard the birds. I could hear every little thing, and I knew then what I'd been missing. They say people hate hearing aids at first and have to work up to using them, but for me it was like being blind and suddenly having vision. You couldn't persuade me to take my aids out. I will say, I still hate hearing appliances running. But that's a very very small price to pay. PS @foot - if you can't distinguish speech from background sounds, you might want to think about getting an audiogram done and getting at least one hearing aid. Pure tone loss lags far behind the ability to distinguish speech. __________________ The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Ghandi

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