Yup, it’s that time.
I’ve had really bad tinnitus since my mid twenties: I’ve been a shooter since I was a child and an idiot for about that long so that’s no surprise. So everything I hear, I need to filter past the loud ringing noise but that never stopped me from carrying on conversations until fairly recently. I noticed it before but it never really drew my attention until last week at the prosthetist’s office. I was in a small, very quiet room conversing with a man whose voice I could barely hear. No excuses about background noise or music.
Not knowing anything about hearing aids I was loath to spend a lot of money on something that might not help at all, so I bought these. Stuck them in my ears last night while watching a DVD, and had to admit I could understand the dialog for the first time in quite a while.
If I keep on this way, sooner or later I’m going to get old or something.
Welcome to the club! I’ve had hearing aids for about ten years now, but recently have gone to wearing them virtually all waking hours.
When you get to the point where you avoid engaging in conversation because it’s simply too much bother to keep asking for people to repeat themselves, then you are starting down a long road of disengagement that leads to dementia. And that’s a destination that I hope to avoid!
I hear you (sorta). Damned 4k tone in my head that won’t quit. Guns, cars, outboard motors, diesel generator rooms (lined in ceramic tile). I do get some respite once in a while, but it always comes back. One of the bennies of aging I guess, Don’t let it own you.
Joel: Good for you addressing the issue. I resisted for years and wish I hadn’t delayed.
“a man whose voice I could barely hear” Your prosthetist is my dentist.
I’m on my third set of hearing aids. They are a good thing. Mine connect to audio devices via bluetooth. Roomie keeps walking up to me and starts yammering, not realizing I am not merely staring at a muted TV. Too bad he doesn’t have a mute button.
“understand the dialog” I read an article that says tv/movie audio is actually quieter than in years past due to “improvements”. I almost always have captions turned on.
My audiologist has very little good to say about the new OTC so-called hearing aids but they’re better than nothing. Real aids customized by an audiologist for fit and audio response are way better but pricey.
What makes you think my oversized shirts still fit? Darn belt musta shrunk, too.
I’m on my second generation set of aids now. The first set was tin can sounding and ate batteries like Trump sucks up McDonald’s.
My new ones have built in rechargeable batteries and turn on automatically. They work too well and makes the world seem too damn loud… So much so , that it is blessed to have peace and quiet when taken out lol
Do you find yourself wishing that Tobie did not bark SO DARN LOUD?
Funny you should ask that, MM. Last night he was playing with his bone and I wanted to kick him for banging it on the floor so damned loud.
Dunno what the Wuvee brand is, but I presume those are OTC models, maybe from Amazon? Congratulations on re-entering the world of sound! But do be careful. Some OTC models are great, but some can actually harm your hearing (you’ll know the first time a big truck goes by and you feel as if your brain is being reamed out through your ears).
When/if you ever “advance” to needing prescription models, I have one word for you: Costco. Nothing else compares for the quality + price combo.
Spud: I bet they have volume controls. I asked my audiologist to have mine boot up two levels below where she initially programmed them because they were TOO LOUD.
Joel: the good ones automatically change audio profiles according to what they think the ambient noise level is; dunno if there is a “bone thump” profile. Living in the future has disadvantages.
Modern fabrics…
Clothes never used to shrink like that.