Help for Hearing Impairment

Tigsteroonie

disabled_NCIS_fan wrote: »

Can you get anything to jazz up a hearing aid looks wise? The one I currently use is beige and really now I am finally allowed to use it again I would like to make it look nice.

"Pimping" hearing aids seems to be quite common among the young You have to be careful what you use (eg not nail varnish), so have a google to find others who have pimped and what they used.

I have this FB group on my list, although having a young boy he's not really into having his aids pimped! Pimp My Hearing Aids

Savvy_Sue

There's definitely a bit about pimping hearing aids on the Cookie Bite Chronicles (which are worth a read in their own right).

Goldiegirl

I posted the other day about my recent loss of hearing, and I'm trying my best to come to terms with this, and get used to it.

For example, I try to make sure that, when I'm out, I make sure that any people I'm with are on my good ear side, and avoid noisy places

But I was wondering, how long does it take for people to get used to the fact that you can't hear as well as you used to.

At work, it's an open plan office, and can be noisy. I've told everyone what the situation is, and I've asked them to speak up a bit when they talk to me, especially if they are on my right hand side, or come over to me to talk. But people still talk from the other side of the office, and talk really fast so I can't catch what they say. Half the time I just nod and smile, because I get a bit embarrassed constantly saying that I can't hear. It doesn't help that there's a person with the same name as me who sits nearby, so every time someone calls her name, I think they want me, and start looking round to find out who wants to talk. So then I hear the name called out, and ignore it, only to find it's someone wanting me! It's only two days a week, but it's tiring!

My husband is quietly spoken, and when we are at home, we tend to sit with me on one sofa, and him on the other, but he's on my right side, the 'bad side'. I've just spent most of the day going 'eh' or 'what', every time he says something. I've asked him to speak up a bit, but he either still mutters, or almost shouts,sounding really shirty!

It's getting me down a bit to be honest. Do people eventually get used to it, or will I spend my life asking people to repeat things?

I'm sure it'll take a while to get any sort of hearing aid, but maybe that'll help things.

But in the mean time, it's a bit depressing, really

Just wonder how other people cope with this sort of thing?

amibovvered

Goldiegirl wrote: »

I checked the link about the classes - there's one really nearby, but on a Thursday which is one of my working days - but certainly something I'll consider next year, when I should be work free!

Just to say I was encouraged to ask about attending lip-reading classes whilst still at work - I'd never thought of asking as I'd assumed it wasn't possible. The hearing therapist said 'Ask - at worst they'll say no, and at best they might say yes'

I asked and they said yes - for 3 years I was allowed to attend a 2 hour class, but after that I gave up as colleagues were being nasty about me having a morning off for 30 weeks of the year.

3 years ago I finished work and went back to the class. It has given me a great deal of confidence and you can feel really relaxed knowing your class mates all have the same problem and will laugh with you, not at you.

However, if you can already lip-read footballers maybe you don't need classes - I'm not sure I could do that even after 6 years of classes! :rotfl:

Goldiegirl

:rotfl: my lip reading skills only go as 4 letter words beginning with 'f' ! :rotfl:

Bearing in mind I only work two days a week, I don't think they'd be too willing to allow me time off for classes, but next year, it's something I intend to do.

Since my earlier post this evening, I've talked to my husband. As he's a quiet person, talking louder doesn't come naturally to him. We're going to help each other, and we've agreed that we shouldn't get cross at each other when our communication doesn't work out right!

Savvy_Sue

Another vote for lipreading classes, even if it doesn't help with the hearing it really does help with the coping strategies!

Mum always wears a badge of some description. "Please bear with me, I'm hard of hearing" or "Please speak up, I'm hard of hearing."

It will take people a LONG time to get used to it, and some people will always be better than others. I still start talking and wander off when talking to DH, for example, and he's not even deaf. It's not deliberate, I just don't think!

And I don't know if you have any methods of group communication: explaining at a team meeting how difficult it is for you to hear, for example?

Just remembered there are some good tips on the Cookie Bite Chronicles too.

Goldiegirl

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And I don't know if you have any methods of group communication: explaining at a team meeting how difficult it is for you to hear, for example?

We do have monthly team meetings, and that would be the ideal forum for explaining to everyone how difficult I'm finding it, especially when the office is noisy. (at lunch time, when most people are out, it's great!)


As I only work two days a week, it's a bit hit or miss on whether the meeting is held on one of my working days. But, I do have my 1 -2 -1 meeting with my manager on Friday, so I will mention how awkward it can be to hear, and perhaps she'll speak to the others on my behalf. After Friday, I'm on holiday for two weeks, and my next working day will 10th July, so at least I'll be away from the office for a while.


They are never very good about updating me with things that have happened when I'm not in the office, so I have to keep alert for changes. Previously I always kept an ear out to listen to what people were saying, and I'd ask if they were talking about something I didn't know. Obviously, this will be more difficult now. On the other hand, if I stop working next year as planned, I have less than 80 working days left, so maybe it's not that important really.


I had a quick look at Cookie Bite Chronicles, which I will read more when I have spare moments. I looks very interesting - I see the latest blog is about hand dryers in public toilets. Some of them are so noisy, they make my want to put my hands over my ears..... which would make it difficult to dry my hands ! :rotfl:

matrix11001

Hi does anyone know of a free computer based minicom program to use in the UK - the more I look for one the more I get confused, as I need to get one now due to a further drop in my hearing levels - especially as I can't use my hearing aids with my phone.

Thanks in advance

Indie_Kid

matrix11001 wrote: »

Hi does anyone know of a free computer based minicom program to use in the UK - the more I look for one the more I get confused, as I need to get one now due to a further drop in my hearing levels - especially as I can't use my hearing aids with my phone.

Thanks in advance

Are you on Windows or something else?

bluedog

I'm hoping someone can point me in the right direction to get proper help with ongoing and seemingly never ending circle of ear infections, ear pain, eczema and spots in the ear and around it. My right ear feels blocked/full and I get a sort of clicking/ticking sound in the right ear that happens randomly too. I'm getting exasperated as its beginning to impact life so much and am rarely able to wear my hearing aids as it just triggers it all off again. My right ear is mainly affected and this is supposedly my "good" ear.


Its been going on for over 2 years and when the initial infection was diagnosed, the gp said it looked like the ear had been infected for a long time prior to that. (we put it down to medications I'm on as to why I didn't have pain, but am still baffled on that!)


As briefly as possible, I have cookie bite hearing loss, tinnitus and have been told my ear canals are very narrow, all in both ears. I have multiple health issues including stenosis and disc problems in my neck, for which I hake prescription medication. I've noticed that when my neck is bad, my hearing and ear problems worsen.


I've lost count of how many times I've seen the gp about it all in this time, but all they do is give me antibiotics and medication for it. Last December I had a hearing test as I felt my hearing is much worse since all this started but apparently it has only very slightly worsened. I've explained the problems to both gp's and the audiologist I've seen but I'm sure there must be a reason for it to be continually happening. The last gp visit recently was a miserable event and I felt he didn't take me seriously about what is happening. He wouldn't accept that I don't use cotton buds and basically told me to stop using them or putting anything else in my ears. I said I can't use my aids because it triggers this off and he didn't even acknowledge it and I had to continually ask him to repeat what he was saying, until stating to him "I CAN'T hear you" which he looked somewhat bemused at. I gave up then and just took the prescription and left.


I am at a total loss with it all and its beginning to really get me down. If anyone can suggest what to do (or say!) now I'd very much appreciate it. The audiologist said she would write a full report to my gp and thought the he would refer me on, yet when I asked him about it, he said he didn't have anything from her apart from the hearing test results. There must be a reason behind it and finding that out would be a good start and if there is something that can be done to treat it or if this is something I need to learn to live with. Its just how to get this!


Thanks for reading if you've got this far