I was hoping some of you could share some insights based on your own experiences. A little background on myself. I am 41 and I suspected that I might have hearing loss several years ago. I finally got tested about 3 years ago. I was diagnosed with mild cookie bite SNHL. I also have mild tinnitus in my right ear. I usually only notice the tinnitus in quiet environments, or when I focus on it. I can usally ignore it. The ENT said let’s just wait and check it every couple of years. I got tested again this past summer, as I thought it was getting worse. It was only slightly worse, but enough for me to notice I guess. Below are my results.
Here are a few of the ways it has affected me. I can no longer hear the shower running when I am downstairs. So I can’t use that when getting the children off to bed. I have to call up or run upstairs to check on their progress. I also watch the TV on the loud side. It seems loud to me (as well as my wife), but I need it that loud sometimes to hear/understand the conversations. I don’t always hear the microwave finish beeps if I am not in the kitchen. So my tea cup sometimes sits in the microwave until my wife finds it sometime later! My work around is to set the stove timer as well, since it is louder and beeps until you turn it off. I don’t always understand what people are saying to me. Cupping my ear helps, because they repeat themselves louder, and cupping helps me hear much better. Music is important to me as well, and I play the classical guitar. I find cupping my ears adds presence and “fill” to music that I do not hear without cupping.
Would getting hearing aids help preserve or improve my current level of hearing/understanding?
Would aids improve my musical experience?
For those with mild loss, what finally led to you deciding to get aids and has it helped?
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R -15—20----25—35—30–15—20—20
SRT L=20, R=25
WR L=100@45, R=100@45