Hearing aids are cool

The New York Times published an article on October 31 entitled, "Glasses are cool, why aren't hearing aids?" by Jennifer F. Boylan. In a nutshell, the article suggested that people with hearing loss who could benefit from using hearing aids often opt not to use them because they perceive that there is a social stigma associated with doing so.  Readers' responses to the article were highly variable, ranging from "I'm loving my new hearing aids," to, "I just hate to admit my body isn't as young as it used to be." However, over all, there were many readers who wanted to share how hearing aids had changed their lives.  Here are some highlights from the responses, suggesting that hearing aids indeed can be cool:

"I'm 53 and have been rocking my hearing aids for nearly 3 years. I had my hearing checked after my daughter suggested that I needed to (I had promised her I would not behave like her stubborn grandparents). My hearing loss is moderate, and wow, the world sounds so much better when I have my ears in. Besides not having to ask people to repeat themselves, music sounds phenomenal again - and apparently my dryer has a squeak."   Barbara

" For too long many members of the hearing loss community and the hearing public believe that people with hearing loss have intellectual problems. Nothing can be further from the truth. Pres. Bill Clinton, Tom Brokaw, Steve Colbert, NYC Police Commisioner Ray Kelly, Pres. Ronald Reagan and now Jennifer Finney Boylan to name just a few famous people all have come out of the hearing loss closet and it's about time. Listen up America, hearing loss is nothing to be ashamed of."   Howard

"There are definitely some cool hearing aids out there. My latest set are Bluetooth-enabled, and with an adapter music from my phone plays directly into my ears. The same technology connects with a handheld mic to bring the sound directly to the hearing aids. The difference is staggering. Comprehension can rise to 100% even if your hearing loss is severe."   WRL

"Speaking just to the quality of life, putting on hearing aids after functioning so long without them makes you realize a few things. When I stepped out of the audiologist's office, I could hear the birds chirping. Been a long time. I could understand someone in a conversation, and didn't need to guess at the words they were saying. I could hear traffic approaching from in front of and behind me. No more closed caption, which I found irritated my friends and family to a degree. And I didn't need to say "what?" 3 or 4 times to understand someone."   Steve

"Having hearing aids is way cooler than saying "what?" over and over, or lamely nodding in agreement when you have no idea what the person you're talking to just said. It's also cooler than avoiding noisy social situations like restaurants and parties."   Bruce

Ears Train the Brain        www.clearworks4ears.com