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hearing loss?


carolh

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As i have got older, my hearing seems to have deteriorated!

I think I can still hear perfectly well, but I find that people don't speak as distinctly as they used to, mumble, mumble!

I am ok with a one to one conversation, but if any one is talking near by I have difficulty as the background noise just gets in the way.

I am going to French classes at Grantham College and our tutor (a lovely lady) has such a soft voice and will insist on talking with her back to us as she is writing on the board! last night I was so frustrated!! I just could not make out what she was saying, bad enough in English, even worse in French.

I have asked her repeatedly to speak louder - it works for a few minutes and then she slips back into the softly softly voice.

 

My children laugh out loud at my unintentional mis hearing of what they have said.......................but again, they mumble and speak in tongues I don't always understand!!!!!!!

 

I have to have the tv up a notch and when the adverts come on we are blasted out! If I get up to go and make a cup of tea, Charles will turn the sound down, and when I get back from the kitchen I just give up and sit and watch and only hear half of it!

 

I also have tinitus - no big deal - I don't think it's so bad - but there again I don't have anything to measure it against either, so there is this constant 'tone' all the time.

 

Please preserve us from getting any older

:-S

any body else out there with the same problems - I need a bit of moral support :-|

Carol

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Hi Carol,

 

You are not alone, its the same with me.

I have a hearing aid but it do's not help much as it increases the background noise as well. i cant understand my Son when he phones. Phones are a big problem especially when you phone business's they all seem to use head set with these stupid stick mike, and I am sure they have the mike behind their heads.

 

Oh well press on.

 

David

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Guest starspirit

Oh Carol - as the song does - how right you are - I'm not deaf either it's just that no one knows how to speak proper and clearly no more.

 

No need to shout I'm stupid not deaf - I think????????????????

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Do you wear a hearing aid carol my husband has to wear 2 so I know how annoyed and frustrated you get, Im not saying that they are trouble free as they are always going wrong, but life is very hard without them not only for you but for everybody around you. Mind you should see your Doc and let him judge it could be something simple like a build up of wax.
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I agree with Maggyd that you should go and see someone about your loss of hearing Carol. You say you are not deaf but just have problems catching what people are saying to you, or mumbling as you put it.

As with eyesight, loss of hearing is normally a long drawn out process and quite often we fail to realise just how acute it has become, so what others would find unacceptable, we might simply shrug it off as part of the ageing process, or even worse resign ourselves to the fact that we are hard of hearing and try to live with it.

There,s no guarantee a checkup would help in anyway of course, but you do owe it to yourself to give it a try, and going back to eyesight problems, how many times have you heard of people having laser treatment and being amazed at the difference it makes simply because they failed to realise how much their vision had deteriated.

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I had my hearing damaged many years ago.

Too close to jet engines running at full bore >:-(

Gradually deteriorated to point of needing an aid.

Tried the NHS issue, but discarded it as being unhelpful.

Could hear a chair creak on one side or t'other, but could not hear what speakers were saying across the room

Went in for private digital aid.

Very good at diagnosing what pitches are defective, and made an aid to compensate for the deficiency.

Wonderful (lol)

Now I can hear most conversations in a room, even those folks don't think I can hear *-)

Her indoors now complains the TV is turned down too much. ;-)

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carolh - 2007-02-08 9:03 PM

 

WHAT?

 

I am not deaf, just having problems hearing people who mumble - and insist on speaking with their hands in front of their mouths.....

 

Carol

I head that - what?

 

I have the same problem, as well as some tinitus in one ear. After being diagnosed I saw the company doctor who explained it as follows.

She said I have high frequency hearing loss, which means I can hear vowels OK (these give a word its power apparently) but will (and do) have difficulty distinguishing consenants, so will miss hear B's and D's etc.

She also said that a hearing aid would not help as this just magnifies the sound.

I like you can't hear people who mumble or if there is a lot of background noise.

 

Hope this helps, it may still be worth further investigation though.

jules

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Guest starspirit

I have a similar problem Julie in that I can't always pick out high frequency sounds and certain letters plus I also have an unusually high level of sensitivity to low frequncy sound and high volume in general.

After 3 seperate hearing tests I was given the immortal advice - 'sorry but you'll just have to live with it until your hearing gets bad enough for a hearing aid and even then it might be tricky finding one to suit you'

 

Good job I like peace and quiet init!

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Hi. Specsavers do a free professional assessment of your hearing which they recommend every year or two if you are past forty. They can then if needed supply you with a full range of up to date hearing aids as well as things such as aids for telephones and doorbells etc. Might be convenient if you have regular eye tests.

I,ve never been at my best first thing in the mornings, and one of the items listed in their brochures is a vibrating alarm clock that goe,s underneath your pillow. Wonderfull way to start the day by coming out of a deep sleep by having every tooth in your head shaken loose. :-(

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OH took up an offer of a free test, [his hearing is bad- misspent youth in groups ] said he needed one in each ear, [probably true] and cos he has a nice face they'd give him 10%off, discounted price £1999.00 tadaa *-)

 

goes to see NHS man in 2 weeks!! (lol)

 

B-)

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I have a gross mistrust of opticians. three years ago I had an eye test at one of the big chains (can't remember whether it was Specsavers or Vision Express). Diagnosis I need reading glasses which I knew already. Prescription glasses made up for £120. trouble is they're so damned perfect they only let me focus at between 18 and 24 inches distance, any closer or further than that and it all goes out of focus. Virtually next door to the opticians is Poundland who do ready readers for, well a quid actually. They're fine and give me a much better viewing range than the expensive ones.

 

If they can sting like that with their original work what can they do with peoples hearing problems? The majority of peoples hearing loss is in the higher frequencies leading to exactly the difficulties outlined by many contributors to this thread. A conventional hearing aid is of limited value to these sufferers as it will simply amplify the volume across the range. Ideally the aid needs to only amplify the frequencies that are difficult for the user but these are the expensive ones.

 

D.

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Talking of opticians ... it's the quality of the optician that counts. When I was 20 I was told I'd be wearing glasses permanently by the age of 25 ... now at nearly 44 (shush!) I only need them for reading, office work, and close work. The last time I went to my opticians, just before Christmas, he said my eyes were getting a bit worse and said that he could give me glasses that would make my reading very good, however, they would have the knock on effect of reducing my far vision so if I got up to walk around at work I'd bump in to things!

 

The skill of the optician comes in knowing just how much strength to give you on your reading prescription but still allowing you enough far sight to let you walk around safely. A lot of opticians don't take this much care, as Dave found out, and that's why I much prefer a proper well established optician's practice, seeing the same opticians each time so they get to know you, to one of these big national chain store types - you might get good offers on the cost of the glasses themselves but if they are wrong for you then they are just a waste of money.

 

Don't forget that an optician tests for more than just your reading ability, they should be spending quite a bit of time with you checking the health of your eye and spotting any possible problems as many illnesses are found from following up after an obtician's concerns - many of these illnesses wouldn't show in any other way until much later. Make sure you have regular checks, especially important as you get older. We are fortunate in that we get them every year for free as we are heavy PC users and our work pays for the test.

 

Now back on topic ... if you do go to the doctors and he/she recommends syringing just be aware that it can actually cause problems as well as solving them! Thanks to one of my doctors who suggested I had this done when I kept getting a 'popping' noise all the time in my right ear, the problem was very much worse and although the popping stopped over time, I now have difficulties with it. Only afterwards did he tell me that sometimes this can happen!!!! 8-)

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Sorry for asking Jackie but I went months talking to Mel B before I realised she was a girl. What with her talking about fixing the roof on her van and what have you I was rather presumptious and because I thought she was a bloke, spoke to her in a way that was rather inappropriate at times. Mel,s a good old stick though and never took offence, but I would rather not make the same mistake again.

 

.........

Hi Dave. No doubt about it that places like Specsavers are in the business of squeezing as much out of you as possible, but after a free assessment its up to the individual on how they want to pursue it further, or how much they want to spend. It still seems a conveniant way of having your eyes tested and getting your hearing checked while your at it.

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Guest starspirit
Having never lived with anything more vibrating in my bed Howie than a snoring partner (shetered and pure life you see) I am intruiged to know what shape the 'alarm clock' is and whether it has any other alleged functions?
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Quarter to eight Richard.

 

The only thing that vibrates in our house is the wardrobes and cupboards when the wife starts snoring i,m afraid.

What really gets me is when people stand right in front of you emphasising every word and waving their arms about as if its your brain thats addled and not just your hearing. (no uncalled for comments please)

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howie - 2007-02-09 6:48 PM

 

Mel,s a good old stick though and never took offence, but I would rather not make the same mistake again.

 

Howie, less of the old stick thank you, otherwise I'll poke you with it! (lol)

 

I wonder how long it'll be before my hubby lets me loose making changes and putting things on the new van!!!!!! 8-)

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