Connect
← Return to Hearing Loss Experiences - Can you find humor in some of it?
Discussion
Hearing Loss Experiences - Can you find humor in some of it?
Hearing Loss | Last Active: Jul 28, 2023 | Replies (73)Comment receiving replies
It might help to know that nearly 20% of the population in the United States has some degree of hearing loss. That includes people of all ages. You are not alone.
I don't know where you live, but if there is a chapter of HLAA in your area, seek them out. Many chapters have started meeting on Zoom due to the pandemic. The good news is that many of those meetings are open to anyone who would like to attend them.
There is a big difference between being Deaf or being hard of hearing. Deaf people (capital D Deaf), generally use manual communication and consider themselves part of a unique culture. They are a small minority as in fewer than 5% of the 'hearing impaired' population, but they get a lot of attention. That can be misleading because people think we are all like that.
Hard of hearing people, in general, want to remain in the hearing world. It's up to them to learn how to do that.
Have you had your hearing tested by a clinical audiologist? If so, what have they recommended for you?
Replies to "It might help to know that nearly 20% of the population in the United States has..."
Connect
Thank you, Julie. Yes, I have been tested and have a graph showing the downward path. It's depressing, for several reasons. One is that as a professional musician, I can never bring my instrument to the volume where it is often needed to be. I almost don't need to have testing-- I know what is happening. It seems to me that opthamology is far more advanced than audiology. I have worn glasses my whole life, but then, millions of people wear glasses. Plus, , there are contact lenses. Cataracts are removed. Correcting bad hearing seems to be much less successful. I read about all the problems with hearing aids, and they are far from invisible. But I appreciate your advice.