Working in a maintenance department at a papermill, we were on a yearly scheduled hearing test. The mill nurse showed up to our weekly safety meeting and made the announcement so we could sign up online, of course, a couple of people said huh, what did you say? So he repeated it a little more loudly. This time half the crew responded with what, huh, and……well, you get the picture. Poor guy was just about to LOUDLY repeat himself when he realized we were jerking his chain. The sheepish look and him hanging his head in shame was priceless as he muttered, “You guys got me again!” Tru story!
About 25 years ago, my spouse acknowledged that he was losing his hearing. It took me about three years to get him to have it checked and get hearing aids. But he didn’t like them so he only wore them to meetings. At home and among friends, we turned up the volume on TV and radio and shouted a lot. He didn’t have another hearing test until he was getting ready to retire, ten years later. He got new aids, but he didn’t like them either. So we continued to shout a lot and turned the TV to full volume, quit dining out and reduced our social life.
That was 15 years ago. Last fall, one of his hearing aids disappeared. He always either carried them in his shirt pocket or left them on the table by his chair and we believe one of our kittens decided it was a toy. We searched but didn’t find it [and the cat didn’t eat it]. After a couple of weeks of grumbling, he went in to get a replacement. And he was amazed at the progress made!
So now we are learning not to shout and the TV volume is back down almost to normal. And I can go get fitted for hearing aids. A couple of years ago my hearing tests showed that I was just starting to lose the upper range — normal for someone in their 70s. I didn’t bother getting aids then because I figured that, with all the loud noise and shouting we were doing, hearing aids wouldn’t help me much. And, I can still hear the big horned owl outside in the early morning and all the beeps that our appliances make. Now, my spouse is almost back to his normal, “selective” hearing. He wears his aid more often at home, but he still hands me the phone to talk to people [not friends — he has no trouble hearing them].
On the phone is the only way my son and I can actually communicate. Of course I have it on a volume high enough that the neighbors can hear the conversation too. I lost my hearing over many years, he has just lost his over the last few years, possibly even months, which is much more difficult to manage. I was able to learn to read lips without even knowing I was doing it until I realized that when I closed my eyes people started mumbling.
I have been considering the implants. Anyone know any info that would be helpful in deciding?
I seem to be able to still hear pretty well, but over the last few years I have more and more trouble understanding dialogue in TV programs and movies. Thank goodness for closed captioning, I use it quite a bit now.
The newer hearing aids that can link to your cell phone are a blessing. I use my cell phone now for most important calls. I also have a wired phone with captioning, but that works about as well as the attempts to live caption TV programs.
I have had trouble hearing since in my late 20s or early 30s. I have gone for hearing tests – at doctor’s offices a couple of times and it comes out that I hear fine.
I realized some decades ago my problem is that I only have trouble hearing if there is other sounds going on – for example if I am in a store and the normal noises of a store are going on I have trouble hearing husband talking. At home if I am watching TV alone and he walks in he cannot understand how I can hear the TV with the sound that low – as long as no competing sound I hear great. So when the doctor tested my hearing in a quiet room with ear phones on – I hear fine. I have talked about this with my GP and apparently it is not uncommon and nothing can be done for it.
Templo S.U.D. over 1 year ago
That is if you have neither a hearing aid nor a cochlear implant, right?
yoey1957 over 1 year ago
Working in a maintenance department at a papermill, we were on a yearly scheduled hearing test. The mill nurse showed up to our weekly safety meeting and made the announcement so we could sign up online, of course, a couple of people said huh, what did you say? So he repeated it a little more loudly. This time half the crew responded with what, huh, and……well, you get the picture. Poor guy was just about to LOUDLY repeat himself when he realized we were jerking his chain. The sheepish look and him hanging his head in shame was priceless as he muttered, “You guys got me again!” Tru story!
Baarorso over 1 year ago
I’m a guy, for the record, and I’m firmly convinced that we guy Pluggers come with selective hearing-especially when it comes to household chores.;-D
Doug K over 1 year ago
What?
zerotvus over 1 year ago
does selective hearing loss count?
juicebruce over 1 year ago
Thank goodness I don’t have that issue …. yet ;-)
Olddog1 over 1 year ago
My ears don’t cancel noise, they produce it.
BadCreaturesBecomeDems over 1 year ago
I wish mine would cancel out the noise and a few other things… Now shut up! (Ha ha?)
ctolson over 1 year ago
Better known as selective hearing.
GreenT267 over 1 year ago
About 25 years ago, my spouse acknowledged that he was losing his hearing. It took me about three years to get him to have it checked and get hearing aids. But he didn’t like them so he only wore them to meetings. At home and among friends, we turned up the volume on TV and radio and shouted a lot. He didn’t have another hearing test until he was getting ready to retire, ten years later. He got new aids, but he didn’t like them either. So we continued to shout a lot and turned the TV to full volume, quit dining out and reduced our social life.
That was 15 years ago. Last fall, one of his hearing aids disappeared. He always either carried them in his shirt pocket or left them on the table by his chair and we believe one of our kittens decided it was a toy. We searched but didn’t find it [and the cat didn’t eat it]. After a couple of weeks of grumbling, he went in to get a replacement. And he was amazed at the progress made!
So now we are learning not to shout and the TV volume is back down almost to normal. And I can go get fitted for hearing aids. A couple of years ago my hearing tests showed that I was just starting to lose the upper range — normal for someone in their 70s. I didn’t bother getting aids then because I figured that, with all the loud noise and shouting we were doing, hearing aids wouldn’t help me much. And, I can still hear the big horned owl outside in the early morning and all the beeps that our appliances make. Now, my spouse is almost back to his normal, “selective” hearing. He wears his aid more often at home, but he still hands me the phone to talk to people [not friends — he has no trouble hearing them].
Diane Lee Premium Member over 1 year ago
On the phone is the only way my son and I can actually communicate. Of course I have it on a volume high enough that the neighbors can hear the conversation too. I lost my hearing over many years, he has just lost his over the last few years, possibly even months, which is much more difficult to manage. I was able to learn to read lips without even knowing I was doing it until I realized that when I closed my eyes people started mumbling.
I have been considering the implants. Anyone know any info that would be helpful in deciding?
NaturLvr over 1 year ago
I seem to be able to still hear pretty well, but over the last few years I have more and more trouble understanding dialogue in TV programs and movies. Thank goodness for closed captioning, I use it quite a bit now.
Sailor46 USN 65-95 over 1 year ago
15 years of Flight Deck duty will also cancel a lot of noise.
KenDHoward1 over 1 year ago
Yeah, sometimes I have those sort of ears …
Billy Yank over 1 year ago
The newer hearing aids that can link to your cell phone are a blessing. I use my cell phone now for most important calls. I also have a wired phone with captioning, but that works about as well as the attempts to live caption TV programs.
mafastore over 1 year ago
I have had trouble hearing since in my late 20s or early 30s. I have gone for hearing tests – at doctor’s offices a couple of times and it comes out that I hear fine.
I realized some decades ago my problem is that I only have trouble hearing if there is other sounds going on – for example if I am in a store and the normal noises of a store are going on I have trouble hearing husband talking. At home if I am watching TV alone and he walks in he cannot understand how I can hear the TV with the sound that low – as long as no competing sound I hear great. So when the doctor tested my hearing in a quiet room with ear phones on – I hear fine. I have talked about this with my GP and apparently it is not uncommon and nothing can be done for it.