A Question on Hearing Aids?

Yes you can go see an audiologist and get small ones that fit in your ear. Theirs nothing to be embarrassed about when wearing a hearing aid. I know some young people who are hard of hearing and have to wear them.

I understand what you are talking about.

I was born in both ears, and now I got a Cochlear Implant in my right ear, so technically, I can hear.

I am also deaf in my left ear and I will be getting a hearing aid in my left ear, and I am just like you. I feel extremely self conscious (I guess I have this anxiety issue or whatever), but mostly I wear my hair down to cover it up.

They would have helped you to hear better but there are so many styles that you can choose from. Talk to your audiologist about this and I am pretty sure that she or he has heard it that many people telling them that they are too embarrassed.

I even told my audiologist that I am very self conscious and hopefully, they will get a good style that isn’t visible to everybody.

Also, there are types of hearing aids available for you. Usually, there is a style of hearing aid that it is inside your canal and since it is so small, people can’t see them. You can try that.

People don’t care about your disabilities, what they care is your personality, are you hardworking, etc……….

You should be proud of who and what you are and express “Deaf Pride” to the people around you.

IS it better to be labeled the one who answers questions that haven’t been asked because they don’t hear well? You are disabling yourself. With your hearing aide you might find yourself thinking of yourself as more able bodied than disabled.

wear it mate good luck

I wear 2 hearing aids in both ears, I have minimal hearing loss, which is nearly progressing to moderate. So I know how you feel.

All i can say is, wear them babe, because it will do you good and no matter how self-conscious you are, hearing people is better then not hearing anyone or anything at all. I wear my aids 3 times a week, with my hair down, so nobody can see them, if your a girl, you could opt to wear your hair down if that’s necessary. I wear Behind-The-Ear hearing aids, too. And yes, they are bulky, but once you wear them, you’ll get used to the stares, or whatever you get. At the end of the day, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with them. Honestly, they’re there to help us, and by all means, we should not give a sod what anyone thinks and do it for OUR sake, not theirs.

If they label you at any kind of job interviews, this is Disability Discrimination Act, and it is against the law for them to even mention about your deafness disability. No matter what. If you hear them talking about you, you must tell someone immediately.

You CAN go audiologist and ask about the In-the-ear canal. They’re much more pricey, and tend to break easily. So think about the consequences. Hope this helped. E-mail me for any problems
Have a great day!

Simple fact is that you should wear them. You will hear a lot better.

It’s hard, especially when you’re young. You’re in college and there are cuties around and you don’t want people thinking there’s something wrong with you. That’s really common.

When you talk to your audiologist you should ask about the newer behind-the-ear hearing aids that are not very visible. I’ve seen people wearing them and I’m looking right at them and I don’t see the hearing aids. Really cool stuff, hearing aids with stealth technology.

I have bi-lateral hearing loss and have to wear hearing aids in both ears. I also have a deaf sound in my speech. I grew my hair out long enough to cover my aids. However, some people notice my speech and don’t see the aids they wonder why I talk like I do. So, you are damned if you do, and damned if you don’t.

You are not helping yourself by not wearing your hearing aid. I was born deaf and I have been wearing hearing aids all my life. The only times I take them out is when showering, swimming or sleeping.

I can hear somewhat with them (about 50%). Without them, I can’t hear at all.

I used to be self-conscious about them when I was younger because I was teased a lot. Now, I don’t care what people think. I’m deaf…I need them to hear. It’s no different than wearing glasses to see. Forget about what other people think. Wear them…it’s for YOUR benefit.

As for the hearing aid style, there are many available. I have a half-shell aid. It’s more visible than a behind-the-ear but it doesn’t matter to me. At least when people see it, they know that I can’t hear. There are ITC (in the canal) aids now that are so tiny, you can barely see them. However, they are not suitable for all types of hearing loss. Mine are custom made and programmed by computer. I wear Seimens (I highly recommend Seimens). I’m not ashamed to be deaf. It’s just the way I am.

Start wearing the hearing aid you have for now. Talk to your doctor about getting a newer, smaller one. Just be aware that hearing aids are expensive and they are not covered by insurance. You might end up having to keep the one you have now so start wearing it and get used to using it.

You’re missing a lot by not wearing it. Don’t do that to yourself.

EMT