Hearing Part 1 — The Test
Hearing Loss — Shock at How Much with Age & The Fix
You may not notice your loss, but other people do!
Introduction
Many begin to slowly lose their hearing as they age. My wife and I started to notice when we didn’t hear complete sentences. I knew that part was missing because the remainder was nonsense by itself. So, I asked her to repeat, sometimes 4 or 5 times. Irritating for her. Her mind automatically filled in the part she did not hear. It caused some arguments over something that was never said.
The Exam
So, we finally set up a visit with an audiologist, Dr. Waldo, for hearing tests. She allowed both of us to be together for the exam and tests. The tests were far different than I expected! In the past, I put on earphones and listened to beeps at different volumes and frequencies.
For this test, we were in a soundproof booth with special earphones, much smaller than in the past. Also, the beeps varied in structure, along with volume and frequency. Then she put a bone clamp on my head which transmitted sound through the skull. Finally, we had to repeat back sentences and words from male and female voices.
I went first. Watching my wife’s test, hers seemed to be about one-third as long as mine. They claimed it was the same length. Must have been my imagination.
Results
Dr. Waldo showed our results on graphs with frequency across the x-axis and percent loss down the side. My wife’s were about what I expected mine to be - about a 40% loss across all frequencies.
Mine were radically different! I had about a 20% loss for low frequencies and an 80% loss at higher levels. The curve looked like it dropped over a cliff in the middle. The other surprise for me was that there was little difference between ears. With an air test at home, sound was louder in the left ear.
Hearing Aids
We tried hearing aid samples. HUGE difference. Obvious in the first 2 seconds. I could not feel them in my ears and the receptor behind my ear was extremely small.
We ordered hearing aids that handle frequency distributions. They were ready in about a month, probably based on the doctor’s schedule availability for the fitting.
Home while waiting
Knowing about the problem has made a big difference.
We have become much more tolerant at home.
Here is an example of mishearing. My brothers recommended a specific brand. After we got home, I asked my wife what it was and for her to spell it.
- What she said: P H O N A K
- The spelling I heard: C H O N A K
Google still found it from the misspelling! With hearing loss, C, E & P sound the same.
We ordered Oticon - REAL 1 through the doctor. We knew what they would feel and look like from the doctor’s samples. We knew how they would work. Finally, we had the doctor set them up and make adjustments based on our individual characteristics. With our insurance deductibles, they weren’t much more expensive than the Phonak.
They were still expensive. There are cheap ones available, but they manage mainly volume and not variable frequencies. For me, a good volume at high frequencies would be way too loud for lower frequencies.
Conclusion
The immediate results were far different from what I expected & much better!! Details over the month after receiving them will be in the next article.
References
- Our audiologist
- Description of medical devices like these hearing aids & diabetic blood sensors
- Hearing Part 2 — Benefits of the Hearing Aids
