Deafness

I was recently told that my hearing was going downhill and that I needed hearing aids,( I never thought I had a problem) I have since got the things, but I dont like wearing them, although they are very hard to detect once they are in place, but why does there seem to be a stigma attached to deafness, while problems with your eyesight are treated different, any one else in this position, and how do you cope with it.

Re: Deafness

Hello Aitch I didn't think there was a stigma these days is there.

My brother wears hearing aids, it took a while for him to get used too them but he finds them invaluable now.
Aitch I hope you get used to yours very soon and find them beneficial

My Dad and Aunt used to have them too but they were huge in those days with a box hidden in the clothes and lots of wires.

Not wishing to make light of your situation Aitch but I would gladly do a swap with you this morning, my tinnitus is very bad today with a loud ringing in one ear louder than the radio. Sometimes I think deafness and a hearing aid would be preferable to the ringing in my head .

Re: Deafness

I lost half my hearing in one ear due to a bad virus in 2006, I had various tests and finally after 2 years I was fitted with a hearing aid, at this stage with the annoyance of not able to hear my daughter speak to me in crowded areas and trying to lip read at times, I did not care who saw my hearing aid, I just put it in and forget it is there now.

Re: Deafness

You have my sympathy Meg with the tinnitus, I have a friend with the complaint, and the only relief he gets is to go into a crowded noisy room, which does alleviate the problem, if only for a while, when he is at home he has the radio on constantly even though he is not actually listening to it, the noise drowns out the tinnitus he says,

Re: Deafness

..thank you Aitch some days I don't notice it at all, other days like today it is very loud and even the radio can't drown it out .

Re: Deafness

I know my hearing is deteriorating and I should get it checked out. I also suffer with tinnitus every day. I've often wondered if having a hearing aid would magnify the droning/ringing of the tinnitus

Aitch, I've never heard of a stigma regarding wearing a hearing aid ...... as long as you can hear better with it, who cares

Just out of interest, did you go through your doctor regarding hearing aids or through a private sector?

Re: Deafness

Mags, my doctor sent me to an NHS audiologist, after I had told him I was experiencing pain in one of my ears, when the appointment came through, I went to the audiology unit of my local hospital and inside of 2 hours I came out with 2 digital hearing aids, with a further appointment to go back for a reassessment in 6 weeks, I was told I needed them permanently and I must say, when they are in, my hearing is much improved, maybe I should have not implied as to any stigma being attached, but , what with my eyes and knees and bumps a daisy, I seem to be falling apart, but needs must, so onwards and upwards, and persevere until I can use them without thinking, but I still have pain in my right ear, the result of a burn in the mid 70s.

Re: Deafness

I'm pleased your hearing has improved..... although sorry you still have the pain in your ear.

So NHS has advanced great steps from their bulky hearing aids of years ago?

I agree with you about falling apart in our twilight years ..... it happens to us all!

Re: Deafness

My uncle who died a couple of years ago, was having hearing tests and fittings for 2 and a half years before they sent him a letter saying his hearing aids were ready, it arrived the week he died, the ones I have cannot be seen , in fact people have commented on how inobstrusive they are

Re: Deafness

I was going to post this in the health section but it kinda goes on from the OP by Aitch.

Today was my Vestibular Dysfunction Rehab clinic day. I had been doing ok with managing it and the problems that seem to work in concert with the attacks, i.e bad headaches and tinnitus.

I have for sometime been using various simple excercises to keep the vertigo problems to a minimum. When the tinnitus is bad I can also use different ways to help with that although it is very true that when stress levels are high so is the severity of the tinnitus.
Even though I have hearing loss in one ear it is not considered bad enough to warrant an aid and I know that tinnitus itself cannot damage one's hearing but damaged hearing can cause tinnitus.

About a month ago I had my flu jab which I have had every year for sometime without a problem. It made sense to have it because as everyone knows, due to chemo my immune system is a bit like me, deficient in most areas.

Call it coincidence or whatever you like, two days after that injection it all started up again. The wonderful lass at the clinic who has helped me through a lot of the smelly stuff cannot understand it all.
We now have to climb once more on the merry-go-round and start from scratch with yet more consultants to bore to death. it is a bit like being a pinball without a jackpot in sight.

Thank the Lord for the NHS, however long it takes.

On the last thread I did promise to post some help notes on coping with the tinnitus, if anyone would still like some I will try and sort them out.