Yorkshire Pudding recently posted here about the images and sensations that can be conjured up by certain sounds.
His post struck a chord with me (yes, I realise that is a bad attempt at a pun). As I have a genetically acquired hearing loss my relationship with sound has changed dramatically over the years since I began to grow deaf in my late 30s.
As a young woman I loved to listen to music, visit the theatre, restaurants, pubs etc and watch films and TV. Crowded places were of course noisy but nothing that caused any problems with my social life.
Once my hearing loss was properly diagnosed and I was fitted with hearing aids, my life began to change subtly as ordinary, every day sounds became less familiar, often distorted and frequently uncomfortable. It may not be widely understood but hearing aids do not always provide the wearer with "normal" hearing. For a normal hearing person, your brain will automatically tune out some background noise without you being aware of it, making it easier to listen to conversations for example. With a hearing aid that is more difficult as all noise is generally amplified at the same level, making it difficult to filter out unwanted background noise. There are some very sophisticated "smart" hearing aids out there now which do have the ability to filter out certain background noise and adjust to different environments, but these cost several thousand pounds so are out of my reach.
I have found that I can no longer hear all the different frequency levels when listening to music so songs that I have been very familiar with now sound totally different, so much so that sometimes I can no longer identify them when they are played on the radio or TV.
Other sounds are very uncomfortable; I have become super sensitive to sudden loud noises, for example if an object is dropped onto a hard surface or a car engine revs or someone coughs loudly. The sound of running water is for some reason another sound that can be very uncomfortable and will often drown out(!) all other sounds.
Reading YP's post made me a little sad that I have lost that wonderful ability to just let everyday, soothing sounds wash over me and conjure up memories, images and sensations that I took for granted in my younger days.
Enjoy what you have whilst you have it. Some simple pleasures are well worth savouring.
"Enjoy what you have whilst you have it" is good advice. Those of us who enjoy good hearing tend to take it for granted like breathing or indeed our heartbeats. Thank you for sharing your hearing history. It was educative - helping others like myself to be more sensitive to what is of course a genuine but largely invisible disability.
ReplyDeleteThanks YP. It was your post that prompted me to think aloud on my blog about what it means to me to have this invisible disability which, of course, affects many thousands of others too.
DeleteThank you for writing this post, you describe exactly how hearing loss sounds with aids and it’s nothing like normal hearing. I can no longer listen to music or sing, having been in various choirs for years, listening to the radio is difficult especially when people are interviewed by phone. I totally rely on sub titles on TV and everything sounds distorted and muffled, even with expensive hearing aids which now I cannot afford to replace. A conversation in a well upholstered room is the best I can hope for so I hope your hearing loss does not get worse or that you live alone, life becomes very isolated. For some reason being deaf is hilarious to the hearing public, it’s a medical condition the same as blindness, cancer or diabetes and their not funny. Sandra.
ReplyDeleteI can get by for now with my hearing aids but I know that my hearing will gradually diminish year by year. It is a worry for me that more and more organisations and businesses are forcing us to communicate with them solely by phone nowadays as telephone conversations are most difficult for me.
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ReplyDeleteI have worn hearing aids for quite some time and mine were expensive so I stick with them even though I do not hear well. I always use closed captions when watching tv as I would never be able to figure out what is being said. I avoid movies and going out to busy restaurants because I won't be able to hear what people are saying.
ReplyDeleteI often find myself smiling and nodding when I really have no idea what someone said and even if I have asked them to repeat it, there are times when I still have no idea what they are talking about.
I don't know if technology will ever make it possible to hear normally or if I will be able to afford it if it does...
Thanks for writing about this, JayCee.
Oh Ellen. I know exactly what you mean. Smiling, nodding and just looking like an idiot to others when we have no idea what is going on.
DeleteHow I emphasise with you all. I, too, have worn hearing aids (Phonak in the ear ones) for a number of years and find the same difficulties that you do. I often berate "voice overs" and announcers on TV telling them to speak up or speak clearly. Yes, I need subtitles too, often ask people to repeat themselves, or nod (wisely?) if I think some comment may be needed. Like you Jaycee, I especially miss music - the more mellow or softer notes are lost completely.
ReplyDeleteEven when you tell people that you're hard of hearing, so many still continue to mumble and often turn their heads away when speaking to you, instead of facing you. The one thing I do find funny are the occasional ones who enuciate every word in an exaggerated way as though you're completely stupid. It reminds me of Les Dawson!
And don't you just hate loud music in shops? It makes me want to run away.
DeleteI can sympathise. My mother was profoundly deaf as long as I was aware from but refused to admit she had a problem, and suffered because of this all her life. I hope her quality of life improved when I finally marched her down to the GP and she had a Hospital examination and hearing aids fitted. At least she could hear tv a bit better then.
ReplyDeleteMy dad (who passed his faulty gene on to me!) was extremely deaf by his 70s. Although he had hearing aids he struggled with them because of his dementia so he didn't use them. It was a horribly isolating life for him.
DeleteThat’s a yes from me to all of the above. Those wondrous new (expensive) ears that promised life would change dramatically- well, they do not live up to their name.
ReplyDeleteThey do help, but they will never give us normal hearing.
DeleteI don't really know what to say JayCee. I love my Rock music and would hate it not to be able to hear my favourite bands that I have followed since I was young. Thanks for your very enlightening post.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading your posts about your favourite bands and music, even if I cannot share it with you. Just keep on rocking, Dave.
DeleteThat was interesting to read and I understand hearing loss a bit better now. My mother used to complain almost at every cafe or restaurant about the noise levels from scraping chairs etc. She no longer does as she can't really hear the background noise. Well, she can't really hear what you are saying directly to her at times.
ReplyDeleteRestaurants and cafes can be difficult places for hearing aid wearers. So much loud background noise makes it very hard to make out conversations. I am sorry that your mother has become so deaf. It xan be a very isolating disability.
DeleteI used to own an LP called 'Soothing Sounds'. It contained all sorts of sounds that would make you relax. Babbling brook, gentle breeze in trees, sea lapping on shore, etc. I lent it to someone, and it was never returned. I'm sorry about your hearing loss, I'm a great music fan and would find that very difficult.
ReplyDeleteYes, I do miss music now . I tried my new Bluetooth aids a couple of times but it's not quite the same.
DeleteThanks for this post, JayCee. I realized last spring when visiting with three friends in the UK that I could no longer follow along easily with conversations. As Ellen mentioned above, I found myself nodding and smiling and hoping I wasn't responding inappropriately. It didn't matter if we were in a large restaurant, a small cafe or in my flat--I was missing parts of the conversations. In September I finally saw an audiologist and was fitted with state of the art (and mad expense) hearing aids. How are they working? Well, I think you said it--it is not like regular hearing as I remember it. I will say that I do not wear them when near my (young) grandchildren as their penchant for noise chaos when playing with each other is (pun intended) deafening.
ReplyDeleteI am glad that you now have some help with your hearing but I really do understand your comment about small humans' noise levels!
DeleteThis was very informative. My brother in law is very hard of hearing and wears hearing aids. He misses parts of conversations and background noises. You've given me a better understanding of his hearing loss.
ReplyDeleteThank you Celie. I am pleased if I have helped in understanding your brother in law's situation.
DeleteEnjoy while you have it is absolutely right. My problem not is with reading and I miss it. It is not the same to have the computer "Narrator" read it to you.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry that you now have a problem with your sight, Tasker. I imagine that is worse than losing your hearing.
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