As one who was in denial for years, I agree. It’s like hearing loss is looked down on, while other issues, vision problems for example, are more accepted.
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I cant hear from my left side and thought it was normal until i begged mom to test and turn out my left ear is deaf 
and turned out my right one hearing took a dip at one point
I went to Costco 12 years ago to have a hearing test and was told I can have hearing aids then. But I brushed it off and was in denial. My kids and partner have been asking me to get hearing tests for a while. Struggling to hear my grandson sort of tip the boat. I went back to Costco and they had my old audiogram on line. They did another test and the audiogram dropped across the board like 20 DB. I’m now hearing things I haven’t heard in so long. I’m adjusting well to my new hearing aids.
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Eight years ago my uncle passed away so I went to Texas to participate in his services. Afterwards while at my aunts house we were sitting around talking and reminiscing. Several times I had to ask my aunt (and others) to repeat themselves. I explained that 40+ years of working in newspaper pressrooms had taken its toll on my hearing. At that point she got up, went into her bedroom, came back and handed me a box. Take this she said, you can use them now. Inside were my uncles two month old hearing aids. I thanked her, took them home, put the box on my dresser and promptly forgot about them. A couple of months later I remembered them and knowing nothing about hearing aids looked into if they could be reprogrammed for me. I found a local audiologist who, after explaining my situation, agreed to look at them. So I made an appointment. At the appointment she said that she could for a fee, reprogram them and I needed a hearing test first. After taking the test and reprogramming the aids I was sent on my way. After a couple of follow up appointments and being able to hear again I decided, wow I like this. Been wearing them ever since. I’m still with that audiologist and just received my fourth new set of aids.
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I was diagnosed with cookie bite hearing loss in my 20s, by my 30s had pretty bad tinnitus but could get by. Then last year, during the Women’s World Cup one of the amazing players spoke about her hearing aids and how they’d helped her feel more mentally sharp. At the time I was reading a lot about dementia to assist my dad and learning what a risk factor hearing loss is. Decided I needed to look into it. Trialled a pair and realised how much I had been missing. The adjustment period was hard but I’ll never not have hearing aids again. I realise now how much effort I was expending piecing together what was happening around me. I’m so grateful to that player for raising awareness and reducing stigma.
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Wonderful post. Being hard of hearing makes listening hard work for me
My father was one of those who denied he had a problem for years. Then when it was past denying, he claimed his problem couldn’t be helped by hearing aids. He never got help for his hearing.
So I had a real example of being a jerk over it and never denied the problem was what it was as my hearing deteriorated. However, the cost of aids stopped me from getting them when I first would have, and I had to cope by admitting my crummy hearing to people, asking them to speak louder and slower, etc. I avoided the phone and stopped watching television, avoided conversations that weren’t one on one, etc. Those are the kind of things that make hearing loss isolating.
Fortunately I said something to my doctor one day. I had just in desperation done one of those “free” hearing aid trials audiologists advertise – only to find out they’d fitted me with unaffordable $7,000 aids (which didn’t help as much as I’d hoped). It was depressing experience.
Doctor told me to go to Costco. He said, “Of my patients who get hearing aids, the ones who go to Costco are the most satisfied.” (I figure that may be cost-related. If hearing aids aren’t perfect, you’ll be a lot unhappier with $7,000 ones than with $2,000 ones, but maybe I’m thinking everyone’s mind works like mine.)
So I went to Costco. The first aids helped a lot, but my second pair, which I’m still using, KS9s, are wonderful. I really love the things.
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I was referred to audiology and ENT to request a referral for APD and ended up being diagnosed with hearing loss. Not expected at all!
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My husband was watching TV in the bedroom while we were getting ready for work one morning. I thought it was on mute, but he started talking about what they were saying. I didn’t believe him and turned on closed captioning to prove he was punking me, but he wasn’t lying. the volume was on and I couldn’t hear it. I knew I had hearing issues, but that was the thing that finally sent me to get my hearing tested.
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Well, overall, it was just a desire to hear better.