Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

Welcome to the Hearing Loss group on Mayo Clinic Connect.
This is a welcoming, safe place where you can meet people living with hearing loss, and friends and family supporters. Whether you were born deaf or hard of hearing, experienced hearing loss after birth or with aging, it helps to connect with others. Together we can learn from each other, support one another and share stories about living with hearing loss, coping with challenges and celebrating milestones.

Let’s chat. Why not start by introducing yourself? What is your hearing loss experience? Got a question, tip or story to share?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Hearing Loss Support Group.

Hello, my hearing loss goes back about 3 years when ENT said I could benefit from hearing aids to hear TV and others in group settings and around home so I'm not always saying "What" and moving closer. I went to "Sound Advice Hearing Center" here in St. Pete FL and ended up with Oticon OPN1 hearing aids with bluetooth support. They are wonderful as I no longer say "What" unless my hearing aids are out. I also got an Oticon TV adapter which connects TV digital out to OPN1s. This really makes TV sound like surround sound which I can control separate from external speakers. Since I also have low vision due to glaucoma and can't read books easily, I now love listening to audio books from audible.com which I download to iPhone and listen to via OPN1s while exercising at the YMCA gym.

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@2mnycars

Hi! I am a Canadian with hearing loss in both ears due to exposure to noise. I have hearing aids, and have used them for about 15 years. It's been a difficult process. I find my hearing aids help, but don't solve my hearing problems.

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@2mnycars Hearing aids are better than nothing but they sure are not like natural hearing.
JK

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dsh33782, I, too, have Oticon and I conceded to give up on my old aids because the of the bluetooth feature which allows me to hear cell phone calls. I have a small business that I receive calls from potential customers and I could never understand them before. I have looked into but not purchased the TV adapter... need to!

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@cjspizz

@judymartin I ended up in this forum because of HLAA. The HLAA Hearing Life e-News email from a few days ago explaining that "HLAA has teamed up with the Ida Institute and Mayo Clinic to offer a Hearing Loss group on Mayo Connect" with a link to join. So, here I am!

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Thanks, @cjspizz. As one of the moderators on the HLAA Message Board, I was asked to post information regarding this Forum. I'm interested in seeing how many come here because the Hearing Loss Association of America.

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@wassy2019

Yes, people (young people especially), often associate hearing impairment with not being intelligent. This is upsetting on many levels, especially in a work situation. As I speak up about my loss, I find it better to put it out upfront - I say to the person that I have hearing loss and need them to speak to me when facing me,... This generally works well and puts the burden of communication on the other. If they forget to face me, and I can't hear, I repeat my request, but at this point, the responsibility shifts so that I am not 100% responsible to hear everything regardless of the environment. Sometimes the other person is the one to feel "less than" for not communicating properly!

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I have had that problem my entire life! But even when I tell people that I can’t hear, they still don’t believe me. That’s the biggest plus of the cochlear. I wear it like a badge! 🙂

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@contentandwell

@bradmm I never thought of myself as reading lips but my hairdresser told me that he sees me doing that! After he commented on it I realized he was right, it is a lot easier when you are looking at a person to understand what they say.
My husband keeps the remotes close to him but he too will mute if I try to speak.
JK

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I read lips so well that even after I scored zero on The pre cochlear test, I still wouldn’t believe them when they discussed my profound hearing loss!

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@dsh33782

Hello, my hearing loss goes back about 3 years when ENT said I could benefit from hearing aids to hear TV and others in group settings and around home so I'm not always saying "What" and moving closer. I went to "Sound Advice Hearing Center" here in St. Pete FL and ended up with Oticon OPN1 hearing aids with bluetooth support. They are wonderful as I no longer say "What" unless my hearing aids are out. I also got an Oticon TV adapter which connects TV digital out to OPN1s. This really makes TV sound like surround sound which I can control separate from external speakers. Since I also have low vision due to glaucoma and can't read books easily, I now love listening to audio books from audible.com which I download to iPhone and listen to via OPN1s while exercising at the YMCA gym.

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I love Sound Advice! They are such honorable people that instead of selling me another hearing aid, they convinced me to consult with a cochlear surgeon.

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@judymartin

Thanks, @cjspizz. As one of the moderators on the HLAA Message Board, I was asked to post information regarding this Forum. I'm interested in seeing how many come here because the Hearing Loss Association of America.

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Judy I just joined and posted intro today because I got email notice from HLAA. Thanks!

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@catladyde9

75 years old starting my third year wearing hearing aids (Rexton Trax 42) I can only wear over the ear hearing aids. Still notice the voice quality differences between using my wonderful amplified telephone without the aids and the voice quality I experience when I wear the aids, especially the quality of women's voices which are noticeably different. One of the the sounds I miss the most -- being able to hear and enjoy my cats' purring. Do not know of any local support groups in my region which are known as the "Eastside" cities across Lake Washington from Seattle.

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Recent experiences this week have shown my Rexton aids can no longer serve all my essential hearing needs -- especially in noisy environments - restuarants especially, group settings, outdoor gatherings, etc. (TV and radio have never been more than okay with the aids, closed captions is always used. Movie theaters are awful and are usually avoided). Voice clarity has lessened considerably - what remains is very poor. Would appreciate receiving advice and suggestions for best sources for researching alternative aids, what to look for services offered and the bhind the ear hearing aids, the warranties, repairs , cleaning, life expectancy of aids, etc. After a disastrous appointment with an audiologist who flatly refused to provide behind the ear aids I went to Costco-Issaquah WA (Costco was the only alternative she gave). After a full hearing test/evaluation, Rexton was the one the Costco specialist advised would meet my needs three years ago.

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Glad to join up on Connect. I was an intermittent participant on the HLAA forum. I am 69 y/o retired guy with passion for birding, bicycling, nature. Volunteer naturalist with local metroparks. Perpetually beginning ASL student. Bilateral moderate to severe hearing loss. BTE HAs for 4 years. Have a hearing aid program customized for birding that works pretty well. Meetings, noisy environments, family interactions very frustrating. Use streamer to cell phone, streamer from TV sound system, caption phone. Greetings to all.

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