Adjustment to late onset deafness

You can find hearing aid dealers that use more than just traditional molds that fill the whole inside of your canal. they do have now little tubes that go down into your ear and don't completely plug the canal. I found a site that will show you the different ones that you could use/order with whatever hearing aid you have. You don't have to go without hearing aids completely just because one Dr. doesn't know about the new types of tubes that will work for you.
PreciseHearing.com - Affordable Hearing Aids
 
CJB said:
My hearing loss is conductive and related to my TMJ. Fitting hearing aids with TMJ is frustrating because my the joints make my ear canals move, which makes the hearing aids move around a lot, not to mention painful. For now my audiologist and I have decided I'll only get HA's if my hearing gets worse, and then we will look into BTE's or custom ITE's.
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there are alternatives for you, depending on the brand you can have what they call open ear hearing aids where you don't have to have the typical ear mold that completely fills your entire canal. there are plenty of aid companies that you can look into that have what they call open hearing aids... I am attaching a picture so you can understand what I'm talking about...
This is the website I found and the list I have found there where all the hearing aids have these open ear type of ear buds to help you.
All Earmolds, Tubes and Domes : PreciseHearing.com - Affordable Hearing Aids
 
I have been hoh all my life but I am finding that I am very deaf now. I wear two hearing aids and need to have people look at me when they speak. I am getting ridiculed at work (no one taking it serious) and even my family doesn't seem to care about my needs
(thinking that this is a phase or something). I am just nuts about this. I have tinnitus at night when I take out the ha's. Like a scream all night long. Is it normal for people not to react or seem to care at all?
 
steph9700 said:
there are alternatives for you, depending on the brand you can have what they call open ear hearing aids where you don't have to have the typical ear mold that completely fills your entire canal. there are plenty of aid companies that you can look into that have what they call open hearing aids... I am attaching a picture so you can understand what I'm talking about...
This is the website I found and the list I have found there where all the hearing aids have these open ear type of ear buds to help you.
All Earmolds, Tubes and Domes : PreciseHearing.com - Affordable Hearing Aids
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Thanks so much steph9700. I can't see the picture as I'm blind but I will ask my doctor about it. :ty: I also heard that BTE's are useful for TMJ hearing loss.
 
hohpolice said:
I have been hoh all my life but I am finding that I am very deaf now. I wear two hearing aids and need to have people look at me when they speak. I am getting ridiculed at work (no one taking it serious) and even my family doesn't seem to care about my needs
(thinking that this is a phase or something). I am just nuts about this. I have tinnitus at night when I take out the ha's. Like a scream all night long. Is it normal for people not to react or seem to care at all?
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I don't know if it's normal, but I can relate. My friends and family act like they don't remember or care. They definately don't seem to take it seriously. Some people in my family even turn off to CC while I am watching tv because they think it's annoying. This summer, I even had a good friend say to me "Oh, you really can't hear, can you?" I was like did you think I just make stuff up and stick these things in my ear for fun or what? So, you are not alone and it's sad because eventually they will miss out on communicating with us because they won't know how.
 
hohpolice, you're going to have to educate people around you and advocate for yourself. For family members, tell them what you need and demand that they do it. If they refuse to stop and look you in the face, refuse to communicate with them until they do. Don't allow them to say "never mind." Tell them to repeat it until you can understand. In other words, don't take no for an answer! Don't you dare turn off the cc! :nono:

One thing that helped my spouse understand was a hearing loss simulation. My husband said, "that's what you're hearing?" Instant understanding. :D I recommend that you share this link with your spouse and make sure that she listens to it:

Hearing Loss Sampler

Regarding work, I would recommend speaking to a vocational rehabilitation person. Google "vocational rehabilitation" + your state. Start with your county services and then look for state services. Other people here can tell you more about that than I can. You might want to post in another section of the forum with your state in the title asking for resources. The ADA requires your employer to make reasonable accommodations.

I have become more confident about dealing with my hearing loss since I've been on this forum. There are some amazing people on this forum. Being here has made me feel less isolated and more understood. Glad that you're joined us here! :wave:
 
quirkylibra said:
I don't know if it's normal, but I can relate. My friends and family act like they don't remember or care. They definately don't seem to take it seriously. Some people in my family even turn off to CC while I am watching tv because they think it's annoying. This summer, I even had a good friend say to me "Oh, you really can't hear, can you?" I was like did you think I just make stuff up and stick these things in my ear for fun or what? So, you are not alone and it's sad because eventually they will miss out on communicating with us because they won't know how.
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I have a lot of people not taking my hearing loss seriously either. I wonder why that is. They act surprised when I actually don't hear something too. Some of the people I know think I'm nuts for using a Brailtalk and wonder why I can't just talk verbally, why I make them go through the effort of spelling out content words on the Brailtalk "for nothing." Because I can't hear you! Not to mention, unlike some sighted deaf people (not all, even though most hearing people seem to think all deaf people can flawlessly read lips), I can't read your lips either because I'm blind too!

:confused:
 
I had one person tell me that she thought that I was kidding when I told her that I have a hearing loss. Because hearing loss is soooooo funny! :roll:

I also love when someone new adopts the funeral face and says "I'm sorry." Dude, I can't hear--I'm not dead! :laugh2:
 
sallylou said:
I had one person tell me that she thought that I was kidding when I told her that I have a hearing loss. Because hearing loss is soooooo funny! :roll:

I also love when someone new adopts the funeral face and says "I'm sorry." Dude, I can't hear--I'm not dead! :laugh2:
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Well hey, "deaf" isn't that far off from "death." :giggle:
 
Why do I have an image of a deaf person signing to a corpse in my head now? He's dead not deaf! :rofl2:
 
We're a good comedy team today! :cheers: At least we amuse ourselves. :cool2:
 
You're welcome. Life requires a good sense of humor. :wave:
 
hohpolice said:
I appreciate the support. I now understand the term discrimination...unfortunately.
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Sorry to jump in here since I was born this way, but why is it unfortunate for you to understand discrimination?

It will make you stronger in the long run. Also I suggest you can change peoples perceptions and get rid of some of the discrimination in the world.
 
I've dealt with sexism my whole life. It's a shock when an formerly-hearing male faces discrimination, though, because you've had the luxury of being unaware of your privilege all of your life. You'll develop more empathy now. That's a good thing.
 
sallylou said:
I've dealt with sexism my whole life. It's a shock when an formerly-hearing male faces discrimination, though, because you've had the luxury of being unaware of your privilege all of your life. You'll develop more empathy now. That's a good thing.
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I think most people face discrimination of one sort or another. I was born disabled so I've known it all my life, plus being half french, and bisexual. I've not really faced so much sexism though, maybe I was just lucky or the discrimination I faced for being disabled was so much greater that I may not even have noticed.
 
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