clausesalvatorr Posted July 27 Report Share Posted July 27 Hello there, I am new to this community and have recently been diagnosed with mild to moderate hearing loss. As a 26 year old; the idea of starting to use hearing aids feels quite overwhelming and; to be honest; a bit intimidating. I wanted to reach out to see if anyone here has had a similar experience and could offer some advice or share their journey. I have always associated hearing aids with older adults, so coming to terms with needing them at a younger age has been challenging. I am particularly concerned about how this will affect my social life and work environment. How do you cope with the stigma or misconceptions that people might have? đ€Also; any tips on choosing the right hearing aids? I have read about different types; but I am unsure which would be best for my lifestyle. I am fairly active and enjoy outdoor activities; so something durable and water-resistant might be necessary. I am also interested in knowing how others have adjusted to using hearing aids in terms of sound quality and comfort. How long did it take for you to get used to them; and did they meet your expectations in improving your hearing experience?đ€ Also, I have gone through this post; https://forum.hearpeers.com/topic/6778-cochlear-implant-is-it-right-uipath-for-me/ which definitely helped me out a lot. Thank you in advance for your help and assistance.đ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lauren Posted July 27 Report Share Posted July 27 Welcome to HearPeers. I went bilateral with cochlear implants after over 20 years of hearing aid use from elementary school (USA). To find the right hearing aid, first step is to find an audiologist youâre comfortable working with. Preferably youâll want one that works with multiple brands. The concept for that is the same as with CIs; my clinic offers multiple brands of hearing aids (Phonak, Starkey, Oticon, etc) and works with all three CI companies. As for which hearing aid is right for you, youâll have to be tested by the audiologist to determine where your hearing is at. The brands have different models which all deal with different degrees of hearing loss. After knowing where your hearing is the clinic should give you the best options for you, then you can pick based off your needs/lifestyle. As for social stuff, Iâve found people generally understanding and accommodating. Occasionally you will encounter some âbad eggsâ but donât let them get you down.  Since going bilateral with CIs Iâve actually had more people approach me in public than when I had hearing aids. All are curious about whatâs on my head, how they work, how they sound, etc. I donât regret waiting so long to get my CIs but now my hearing is so much better as the hearing aids can only do so much and only amplified sounds around me so I could hear them. Eventually it wasnât enough so I âditchedâ them. Thatâs just my hearing loss journey and everyone has their own. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tim Posted July 28 Members Report Share Posted July 28 @clausesalvatorr I'll also echo the Welcome to Hearpeers. As @Lauren said, all of our hearing journeys are different. Essentially, by definition, nearly everyone in Hearpeers has reached the point that a hearing aid on one or both ears no longer "works". There are many causes of hearing loss and therefore many unique ways of dealing with it. We can't help with specifically. While the majority of us have CIs here, Med-El has other systems for other situations. Many of us here went through the "hearing aid" stage and might be able to give some input though to your question. In my case, I had declining hearing on only one side from late 30s/early 40s to the current day two decades later. I went many years from the first diagnosis without doing anything about it. By the time I did, I had already skipped past the point of a hearing aid being of any benefit for me. I went with bone conduction before moving on to a CI. Long story covered in other posts and not directly relevant to your current situation. The result though is that I occasionally give talks now about my hearing journey and try to destigmatize it. For example, it is really kind of similar in some ways to how the current generation wears airpods. The electronics (bluetooth connectivity and other features) seem to be more sophisticated than our far more expensive CI devices because of economies of scale and perhaps much lighter FDA approval requirements. I would be very happy if a hearing aid had been a viable solution for me. Almost ten years ago, I was able to go to a CostCo to demo their strongest hearing aid, programmed for my hearing loss at the time. They let me wear it around the store for an hour. I don't think they allow that now but there is a lot of experimentation you can try such as "personal audio amplifiers" or "over the counter" hearing aids, ways to use airpods, to assist, or bone conduction headphones. All in all, I don't worry about my CI being visible. I figure if it helps one person draw inspiration to get the help that they need, whether hearing related or not, then it is worth it. It has prompted discussions like Lauren has mentioned. Last year I gave a talk at a senior living facility where people that have resisted getting hear aids then say well if this "youngster" can do it, maybe they can too and should feel embarrassed about it. The bone conduction headphones are pretty neat. Doesn't solve the regular every day listening challenge but does enable things like talking on the phone well, listening to music, and more. Very cheap, easy, and non-invasive. No reason to feel self-conscious about it-the US army uses the same technology for many soldiers to be able to communicate with others while retaining situational awareness with their ears open to the environment. Do what works for you. Good luck on your first steps along the hearing journey!  Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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