Don’t fade away
One hearing aid wearer explains why he is glad he hasn’t ended up like his father and talks about the hearing aids bring to him.
“When you go deaf, you don’t just lose your hearing. You lose contact. You lose the ability to discriminate between sounds that are coming at you. There are two strategies that people use. My dad used the one where you just shut up. You let things go on around you and just forget it. And a friend of mine – he knows a hell of a lot, grant you – he never stops talking. Because then he doesn’t have to listen. But I would prefer to keep social contact and let the other guy have a word, once in a while…
“I saw it happen to my dad. He was a very sociable man up until the time he was 55, 60 – but then I just watched him fade out of the picture. He didn’t seek out conversations. He didn’t interact with his friends the way he used to. He was active in a bowling league for a while and then he just pulled out of that. The noise of the bowling alley and all that – he just couldn’t handle it. And by the end of his life he was just a silent man. And he didn’t deserve that kind of fate. And I’m damn glad I don’t have to suffer it…
“Hearing aids these days are remarkable. Even compared to the pair I had a couple of years ago, the clarity of my new pair is excellent. With my new ones the voice of the person speaking to me – even from the telly – I can hear it, I can hear the words…
“We have a little coffee group that starts before the Italian class. We sort of sit down, 5 or 6 of us and just chat…. And that has become incredibly easy now. I can hear people talking and pick one person out and listen to them and filter out the others…
“What advice would I give to someone who thinks they might need a hearing aid? Do something about it. Get your hearing tested at the very least. I mean, if you are noticing it, you can bet your life that the people around you are too –family, colleagues, friends….and hearing aids today are completely different to those of only a few years ago. You’ll be surprise”.
ReSound is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of hearing aids. Since the company was founded in 1943, ReSound has been known for great sound quality, design excellence and meaningful solutions that help hearing impaired people rediscover hearing so that they can live rich, active and fulfilling lives. For further details click here → gnresound.co.uk
ReSound LiNX™ offers a superior sound experience, setting new performance standards. It is a Made for iPhone hearing aid with direct sound streaming, and it can be personalised to your every need. For further details click here → resoundlinx.com
Have you or anyone in your family suffered from hearing loss? What have you done to help try and combat it?
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