Welcome to Living With Hearing Loss, a new blog for those living with hearing loss. I have a genetic hearing loss that I first began to notice in my mid to late twenties. It has gotten progressively worse since then and I now wear hearing aids every day to hear better. I am lucky to have only mild tinnitus so far.
When you have hearing loss, it impacts your life almost every minute of every day. Whether it is trying to hear schedule announcements at the train station, watching TV, hearing the waiter discuss the specials at a restaurant, or talking with your children, having hearing loss makes everyday tasks more challenging. Socializing becomes less fun, particularly in settings with significant background noise. Movies and plays are harder to enjoy. Communication in general takes more effort and concentration than it does for those without hearing loss, and can sometimes be exhausting. Supportive family and friends are key, as is advocating for yourself. I have now begun to request quiet tables at restaurants and to remind friends to face me when they speak to me.
Being vocal about your hearing loss can make a big difference in enhancing communication and improving the quality of your life. I don’t want my hearing loss to define me, but I find that being open about it can help relieve the pressure of always having to hear everything perfectly. I hope this blog will serve as an outlet for my experiences as well as a community for those dealing with similar issues.
Readers, how are you living with your hearing loss?
It gets me nuts-my grands are the hardest to hear