Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with hearingloss

Please hope me keep "hearing!"

Anonymous — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:37:38 -0800

I'm losing my hearing. What are my options? Almost every woman on my mother's side of the family eventually loses her hearing. The good news - this won't be a big problem for another ten years; the bad news - the first signs are showing up years earlier than my mother's and grandmother's did.

I do not have the option to see a doctor or audiologist right now and the chances are good that I won't have the option for a long while, but I will do as soon as I am able. Until then,I know that there's nothing I can do to turn around the hearing loss without seeing a doctor, but is there something I can do to allow me to continue functioning in society?

What I do know:
From my family history, I will most likely be completely deaf within thirty years, but I will be severely impaired within the next ten to fifteen. My symptoms are showing up ten to fifteen years earlier than the other women in my family. I don't want to find myself deaf with only a notebook and pen as my primary means of communication, so I want to start now and help reduce the impact of the problems I foresee. I know almost nothing about the deaf community, but I certainly don't want to offend anyone by asking ignorant questions or making inadvertently offensive comments.

I need tips on how better to read lips, and what options I have for cheap or free sign-language classes. Where should I look first? What questions should I ask when I get there? Should I try to learn ASL or should I go for a more international version? I live in the southern US, but I have friends from and will be traveling to the UK a lot, so I'm not sure what I should be doing. I'm at a loss about where to start.

Throwaway email: ehwhatdidyousay@gmail.com

Hearing aid help

dilettante — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 15:58:57 -0800

What resources are available for financial assistance for hearing aids? Asking for a friend who is on SSI and Medicaid (this guy). He had two hearing aids. One was stolen off his head a couple of years ago, and the other may have finally died after 8 or 9 years. KY Medicaid will not cover hearing aids for adults. I found an organization called Hear Now, but they want $100 just for the application, and that sounds a little off. Does anyone know anything about them, or about any other organizations that help with this kind of thing?

Of course now he's having fits, so this is loads of fun....

No one likes hearing loss, but loud music is the norm

filthy light thief — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:13:27 -0800

How should I go about forming a group / coalition / movement for venues to lower the volume to levels that won't leave your ears ringing? More thoughts, ideas, and concepts inside. I don't think I should have to wear earplugs of any sort to save my hearing at a concert. I understand that some venues have limited speaker locations, requiring the area near the speakers to be a lot louder than the far edges of the area, but most venues seem to amp up the volume well beyond what is necessary. If I buy ear plugs, it means only my hearing is being protected, and I want everyone to have a pleasant experience. I'm not looking to make a rock concert into background music, just to avoid having ringing in my ears the next day (or days).

I'm looking for input and ideas, from people who have started or been a part of some movement or group, and anything for my specific goal. I'm not looking to become a full-time advocate and devote my life to this, but I'd like to spread awareness to audiences, musicians, technicians, promoters, etc. Online petitions are silly, but a website could be a start. I imagine talking to people who run and set up venues, getting some decibel meters, and figuring out the limits for given crowds (small room with a sparse crowd means lower levels than if that room is packed and everyone is talking). I don't know much about acoustics and noise monitoring, but I know a college professor who does environmental noise monitoring and mitigation, so I imagine I'll be talking with him in the future.

I started thinking of this after going to a small club where the second DJ of the night increased the volume during his set to the point where my ears were ringing after a minute, while the prior DJ's music was just really loud. I know some people wear it as a badge of honor, but hearing loss lasts longer than the concert.

Music for my ear

sulaine — Tue, 01 May 2007 20:17:56 -0800

I need some recommendations for a complex and variable piece of music for some intentional hearing exercises. I have been diagnosed with sudden idiopathic neurosensory hearing loss (just one side). At first I had no hearing at all, and now two weeks later, I seemed to have regained a small amount. While the doc said that my chance for full recovery is guarded, he mentioned that he had another patient with the same problem who seemed to be able to regain his hearing by doing some intentional hearing exercises. Essentially the guy chose a complex piece of music and listened it to every day trying to pick out more sounds. I'd like to try it. I need an instrumental piece, probably around 10-20 minutes, and I guess that some classical piece is probably best (although any suggestion is welcome), but I have no idea where to begin. I am hoping for something that will capture my attention, since I plan on listening to the same thing everything day. It needs to be complex and have a variety of sounds.

My ear is clogged - it isn't wax -- and I'm frightened.

John Kenneth Fisher — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 22:59:13 -0800

Something is really wrong with my ear - It feels very clogged, very stuffed, and I can't hear out of it well at all - It isn't wax, after a week of trying over the counter wax removal stuff, I went to a Doc who confirmed that my ears were clean and not waxy - so it must be stuffed up on the other side, and she gave me some prescription decongestant. She said it would clear in 24 hours or so - That was Saturday. It's very unpleasant, and with it not going away, it's actually really scary - and with my work hours, I can't get back to the doc until the weekend at the earliest. Anyone have thoughts, suggestions, anything? I'm really quite desperate at this point.

PS: I'll gladly take ear/headphone recommendations :-D

mittenedsex — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 19:30:31 -0800

iPod + which eaphones/headphones = least hearing loss? I'm looking to "invest" in a good pair of earphones for use at the computer & with my ipod but am a little concerned about hearing loss. I know that it's ultimately about lowest tolerable volume & limiting myself to an hour or so of headphone use per day, but my Q is more about the equipment involved.

A lot of reviews I've read claim that canalphones & IEMs are better for your ears, because they block off outside noises, therefore enabling you to listen to your music at a safer, lower volume. I've tried googling for more info, but most of the sites I've visited say some variation of the above statement without really answering my question:

Wouldn't feeding sound/noise directly into your ear make it worse for you? Or is the assumption that you really WILL end up lowering the volume by THAT significant of an amount that you'll end up "saving" your ear in the long run? (Which leads to my related side question: will the ipod volume go "low" enough for safe use w/ IEMs? I currently use Koss's "The Plug" and it is unbelievably loud even at the LOWEST volume. It's set at a HAIR above no sound!)

Regardless, "normal" earbuds seem to have the worst rep in terms of hearing loss. I'm assuming this is because of its inability to block off outside noises & thus requiring louder playback volumes?

Please, I'm not looking for snarky answers like "If you really love your ears, don't listen to music on the go; all earphones/headphones will damage your hearing; you're best off walking around with earplugs on." I love listening to music on the go regardless of how antisocial people think it is, and I want to go about it in the least damaging way possible.

Solutions for the hearing impaired

Anonymous — Mon, 31 Jul 2006 15:48:50 -0800

What kind of options are available for someone who has suffered hearing loss due to long term exposure to loud sounds? My father worked at a refinery at a time when hearing protection wasn't seen as important. Because of his exposure to the loud sounds of refinery equipment, he has suffered moderate hearing loss that seems to get worse as he gets older. Some years ago, I asked him why he didn't just go to a doctor or get a hearing aid, and he replied that he had looked into it and there aren't any fixes for hearing loss caused by loud noises.

Is this true? Are there simply no options for someone in his position? Technology keeps increasing by leaps and bounds, and I have a hard time believing that he is just doomed to suffer ever increasing hearing loss as he ages. Does anyone have first-hand experience with new hearing aids or treatments?

Is this hearing loss?

Anonymous — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 16:45:05 -0800

Is there something wrong with my ears? I have a problem where if a person faces me, I can hear them fine. But if I'm turned away, the words become a jumble and I can't clearly understand what's been said to me. I've had my hearing checked at the local Costco hearing center and at the hearing center in Sears, and not only did the people there tell me my hearing was fine, they made it seem like this was in my head and I was exaggerating -- to the point I was embarrassed to have bothered them.

But it continues, and it's near frustrating-to-tears.

Is it my ears or my brain?

Help with hearing loss

Ostara — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 11:14:04 -0800

My mother, who is in her 50s, suffers from hearing loss. Two years ago my parents (who are both retired and live on a limited income) scraped together $3000 to buy her a set of hearing aids. They just stopped working, and of course the warranty was only for one year. So she is in the market for a new set. She never really liked the hearing aids that she had - they amplified everything and made it different to pick out conversation in a room with background noises. Sounds like silverware clinking together actually hurt. When she talked to the place that sold her the hearing aids, they said that that's normal.

Her hearing loss is due to nerve damage which was caused by being around loud farm equipment and machinery when she was a child, if that makes any difference. She has additional hearing loss on top of that which the doctors attribute to old (!?!) age.

Since she's going to be spending another $3000 for the second time in 2 years, I want to make SURE that she gets quality devices that will help her. She is already blind in one eye, so the thought of having another one of her senses diminished frightens her.

How do I go about researching and finding out information on hearing aid recommendations? Googling brings me to sites that merely sell them. Also, is it out of the line to expect that noises shouldn't hurt one's ear when they're in, and that one should be able to hear a conversation amongst a little background noise? Any other thoughts/comments welcome.

Permanent Hearing Loss?

scalespace — Sun, 01 May 2005 12:24:43 -0800

I stood next to the speakers at a hip-hop concert last night, and my ears are still ringing. Does this mean that they'll be ringing forever? My right ear was facing the speakers and it is ringing more than my left ear. I can hear better through my left, but everything seems muffled and suppressed. People have to speak up for me to understand them.

What are your experiences at concerts, and, more importantly, is this going to be permanent?

I plan to go see the doc first thing Monday morning.