Given my steady decline in sensorineural/conductive hearing loss over the years, I would like to explore lipreading classes. I did an introductory, free one online from the CHS - NF website, and it was an eye opener. I’m having a particularly hard time with speech in noise, and even speech in low noise/quiet environments. My latest visit to an audiologist was disconcerting, as my speech recognition in my right ear (with mastoid disease and missing anvil/hammer/stirrup) was only 30%, and 76% in my left ear. Yesterday, I was in a social setting watching a video, and was not using my hearing aid/CROS aid because of the eardrops, and discovered that I had essentially no hearing in my right ear when I covered my left ear.
I want to take the bull by the horns because my mom was essentially deaf even with hearing aids by the time she was in advanced senior years, and I’ve only just entered “old age”. I very much fear that I will follow the same type of progression.
Would it be better to do such classes online or in person? Does anyone know of a good resource for such learning? I live in Ontario, Canada.
I’m also wondering if I should revisit my use of the CROS aid. Initially, I requested it because of the distortion lack of power potential of hearing aids in the right ear, which made integration of the two aids very difficult. However, given that if you don’t use the ear, it atrophies and you lose what you do have, I’m wondering if I should explore other options.
Thanks very much.