Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

I am glad you found my comments helpful. You have got to be a strong advocate for yourself. There are great audiologists, good audiologists and bad audiologists. Keep looking till you find a great one.

I have ringing in both ears , it is constant and very loud . I have a hard time focusing on simple task and sometimes I have trouble putting words together and carrying on conversations . Does anyone else have these symptoms and do they believe it is connected to tinnitus ?

I am 61 years old and I have ringing in both ears , the ringing is constant and very loud . I have problems staying focused on simple task and I sometimes have problems putting words together and carrying on conversations.
Has anyone else have these symptoms and do you believe they are connected to hearing loss and tinnitus?

I just wish Medicare and any other insurance coverage would start treating hearing loss as a disability.
We have a crisis of loneliness in this country and think how many people need hearing aids and can’t afford them.
If we don’t advocate for ourselves who is going to do it for us?
There is a stigma attached to hearing loss and many just silently suffer avoiding crowded restaurants, theatres and in many cases conversations with loved ones.
There are probably millions of us out there struggling on a day to day basis and yet they only started addressing hearing loss in 1988. Research has provided so many solutions for so many diseases and yet when it comes to hearing loss the urgency has not been there.
I welcome all comments.

I have been wearing hearing aides for 11 years. I do find myself not wanting to go into crowded places. I work in an elementary school and not quite able to retire yet, but I really struggle with hearing little kids. I really hope that I can keep working and will not be forced to retire early because of my hearing loss.

I got new hearing aides, lots of bells and whistles that either don’t work or I have not been taught on how to use them. Mt neighbor has the same brand as mine and won’t even connect them to her phone because it is hard to use at first. We need someone to teach us how to use the apps and how to program them.

Hello, I'm Francisco I am experiencing hearing loss and would like to know as much as possible about experiences, different brands of hearing aids, are they difficult to get adjusted to, their reliability and costs

first get a hearing test by audiologist with good credentials, audiologist
will recommend hearing aids based on your needs, do your own research online-
check if hearing aid provider gives you a trial period to test the hearing aid,
at Costco, it is 6 months, at my audiologist it is one month, if you don't have insurance, you will pay some or all of the cost of the hearing aids upfront for the trial period. Ask about the policy if you choose not to get the hearing aids.

Tinnitus affects millions of people. And it affects them differently. It does sound like what you are experiencing is tinnitus. Have you talked to a hearing healthcare specialist about this?

Have you been exposed to loud noise through music, sports, gunfire, etc.? Here is a link that might provide some information on tinnitus. https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/keeplistening/tinnitus

It helps to share experiences, so I'm sharing one of mine with you. My progressive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been a part of my life for a long time. I taught elementary school physical education. I retired over 15 years ago. During the last few years of teaching, I had the advantage of using a handheld microphone that worked with my hearing aids. This was before BlueTooth devices were readily available. It worked extremely well to help me understand those small kid's voices. The kids helped me. They thought it was cool to speak into my microphone and would often ask if they could hold it. There were many teaching moments for me, and I hope I helped many children understand that hearing loss can be helped. Some of them asked questions so they could help family members.

Today's high quality hearing aids can do more than what I had available thenb, but you have to be willing to learn how to use the apps. You may also need to purchase the add on assistive technology that will help you. Nearly every hearing instrument brand has an extension mike available.

It bothers me deeply that the people who fit and sell hearing aids do not take the time needed to counsel their clients/patients. It should be mandatory. We live in a world that embraces technology, therefore it should be explained thoroughly so it can be utilized. The hearing aids of today are far more sophisticated than they were even a decade ago. Insist that your provider show you how to use those apps. I hope they will find that time. No guarantees though.

It helps tremendously to get together with other people who are in the same boat as you are; those who are hard of hearing who have gone through similar experiences. It's amazing how much we can learn together. If there is an HLAA Chapter in your area, check it out. It's even worth driving a distance for. Some chapters hold hybrid meetings that allow people to participate on Zoom. Learn more at http://www.hearingloss.org Check under 'chapters'.

Participating in HLAA gave me my life back. A joy now is being able to help others. You can do this! And keep on telling the pros that they should be doing more to teach people how to get the most out of those expensive hearing instruments! We do have to help ourselves, but they should be helping us more than they do.

If there is a chapter of the Hearing Loss Assn. of America in your area, attend their meetings and ask questions of people there. There is considerable information on the HLAA website: http://www.hearing loss.org

Hearing aids are expensive, but the cost varies considerably. A lot depends on your audiogram and testing that should be done by an experienced professional provider. It is confusing as they vary by education, knowledge, and quality. HLAA people get together to share their experiences. They don't promote products or providers, but their experiences with them are worth listening to. You can get some of that kind of support on MCC, but that depends on responses to your questions. Also, what is true in one area of the country isn't necessarily true in another area.

I strongly suggest you check out the HLAA website http://www.hearingloss.org as there is a ton of information there. The Hearing Health Foundation also provides a great deal of information. That website is: http://www.hhf.org It truly pays to ask questions and do research. Good luck!!