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Peter, Inteo Hearing Aid's, Experienced User | To whom it may concern :
If you are reading this then it is likely you are wondering about purchasing hearing aids and I have written these words with the hope that they may help your decision.
The sound of silence can be very loud and often very lonely. For many years I put up with not having a hearing aid, using a variety of excuses. It’s not me, other people should speak louder, clearer and they are too costly. Turn the tv up. In some ways all are true but I had to take control of my hearing needs.
My mother’s family has a history of deafness and Mum wears two. For me, I always had to have the tv up high and suffer the complaints of the family. I never heard well over the phone and use to push the receiver tight into my ear hoping to catch every word but often missing many. I always spoke with a loud voice and weathered the complaints of others that I was shouting. If I spoke softly I could not hear myself and so I compensated. In meetings I always had trouble hearing what was being said. Often in each sentence I would miss a word or two and then in my mind I would put in words and see if the sentence made sense. By the time I did this, the speaker had pushed out another sentence or two and so I missed much of a conversation and often the important part. Trying to hear takes energy and I would get tired during a meeting and simply shutoff. If I went to a restaurant or a party, noise would be everywhere and I could not undertake a conversation.
I purchased my first hearing aid about 9 years ago. This was a small analogue one with an off/on switch. I should have bought two but did not have the funds, but one was a lot better than none. Every sound was amplified and in most cases this was good, but often sounds were very sharp, clanging noises that were unpleasant and hurt. The disadvantage of wearing only one hearing aid meant I compensated by turning my head to one side to try and hear better.
Over time I wore out my old analogue one and recently purchased two Widex digital hearing aids that fit neatly into the ear canal. With 14 frequency channels, each is programmed to match my hearing loss and a dampening effect has been introduced such that clangy noises are now dulled, making this aspect of hearing much better. More importantly I can focus in on the person I am talking to in a crowd and comfortably hold a conversation with them even though around me there are other noises. In a meeting I now hear almost all that is said and I can follow the conversation very easily. Unfortunately no hearing aid makes up for those who mumble and sometimes I need to remind colleagues about speaking clearly. At home I can hear the tv at a lower level than my family.
Is it easy to hear properly? Well, it is a bit scary at first. Noises are louder, different. I find myself looking around trying to identify a new sound. I had to become accustomed to the kettle making a different noise, the dog making a noise as he walks across the tiles, closing doors sound different, and I can hear people walking behind me on gravel paths. I can even sometimes eavesdrop on others’ conversations. At first it was a relief to take them out at night and have some quiet time, life is very noisy and I needed time to adjust. I still have to work a little at my hearing but it is wonderful.
Would I recommend buying hearing aids? Definitely yes, if you want to hear the delicate songs of small birds or your children’s laughter, let alone live as normal as possible. I can now hold a conversation in a busy area; I can fully participate in the speaking environment. I would be lost without my two hearing aids.
I recommend you buy the best you can possibly afford and I wish you well with your hearing.
Pete.
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 A hearing loss is not just a question of not being able to hear. Hearing difficulties require a lot of energy from the hearing impaired person. |
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