Hearing ! For most of your life, it’s as natural as breathing. You listen without thinking. Converse with ease. Wake from sleep to the subtlest of audio cues. Yet little by little, things have changed. You realize how often you have to ask people to repeat themselves. How exhausting it’s become to attend a meeting. And how the TV is too loud for everyone but You. You still wake up and smell the coffee/tea, but you haven’t been hearing its gentle drip – or half of what the morning news has been saying. What’s going on ?
What does it mean to have a hearing loss ? It could mean not hearing the doorbell ring or your spouce call you from another room. It could mean missing key information in a business meeting or avoiding seeing friends for fear of being “ found out “.
Hearing loss can interfere with the quality of your life, restricting your ability to interact with others, causing misunderstandings and fatigue, heightening stress and filtering out the myriad of sound experiences that give pleasure and meaning to life. And not incidentally, hearing loss can be a safety issue. What happens when you don’t hear the smoke detector or fire alarm ?
Yet most people hesitate to act when it comes to treating a hearing loss. Part of the problem is that onset is gradual (and virtually invisible ). In fact, it can take years for hearing loss to develop. Part of the problem is denial. Hearing loss may be a natural part of the aging process, but few of us want to admit to growing older. But perhaps the biggest problem is how we view hearing loss, both as a culture and as individuals.
In our culture, hearing loss has been viewed as something of a stigma. Prt of the reason few people with hearing loss get help is that we simply don’t talk about it. It’s a sign of advancing age. Yet, like impaired vision, it is one of the most common health problems in India, as well as worldwide. Unlike impaired vision, hearing loss is often made fun of. People with hearing loss often have to deal with the perception that their intelligence or grasp on reality is unsound.
Improving your hearing and adding to your quality of life is hard to put a price tag on. While it might seem odd, it’s not really what’s inside the pieceof plastic that you’re paying for-it’s how well the hearing aid improves your quality of life. The real value is what it’s worth to be able to fully engage in your relationships, work and the activities you enjoy. You may also want to think about what you value most in terms of a hearing aid’s features and benefits. How important is vanity? How important is the latest technology ? the equation of price will depend somewhat on your priorities-and it’s different for everyone. Hearing aids generally run from a thousand to many thousand rupees. Typically , costs reflect the amount of research and development that has gone into the product as well as quality of the components, with the smallest, most technologically advanced aids at the higher end of the pricing spectrum. However, you can also get hearing aids that provide a good benefit in a modest price range. Pricing may or may not include the services of your hearing professional, such as the testing, making of the ear mold impression, fitting of the aid and follow-up care and service. In addition, most hearing aids come with a warranty. As when making any decision of considerable importance , do some research and buy from a reputable source. Get a referral from your doctor, a friend who is satisfied with their experience.
Some people put on a hearing aid and hear better right away. For most, there is more of an adjustment period. The single most important factor in the process is the attitude and commitment of the wearer-and the development of realistic expectations.
Just as if you had a knee replacement or other medical procedure, you can expect to go through a period of rehabilitation, followed by adjustment to your new circumstances. You can also expect that this will take some tie. You’ll need both a willingness to go through that process, as well as the patience to re-learn a new way of hearing.
Part of that re-learing is recognizing that hearing aids won’t replicate the way you used to hear, nor will they restor or prevent further loss. Most people gain significant improvement in their sense of hearing with hearing aids, though it is a gradual process that can and will take some time.
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