For Those of us who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Part 2

[Violinist64]

The original thread is almost full and I have found it extremely helpful so have started this new thread.

Do they even exist? I’ve never heard of waterproof hearing aids.

I always had to go without in swimming pools. I remember when I was young having to air dry my hearing aids because they got soaking wet during a rain storm

My son has hearing loss so hope I can help. He got implants at 13. Wore hearing aids until the op and was able to wear one between the op and switch on. I have a friend whose relative recently got an implant in his 80s and seems to have got on with it well. Not sure if you can get waterproof aids but it is definitely possible to get a swim kit for cochlear implants just think about attaching to clothes - Ds lost one surfing which was a disaster

I've never heard of waterproof hearing aids. The issue is you need a hole to get the sound from the aid to your ear drum. Any hole is always going to be problematic when you want it to be watertight.

A quick Google suggests a couple of waterproof models, including one from Phonak, but at around £1,800 for one, I think I'll stick with my NHS ones!

I also remove mine and just put up with not being able to hear very well. I have my swim hat over my ears, too, plus take my glasses off so I just swimble along in my own little world 😆

I do find being in an indoor swimming pool, that voices echo really well so it’s not too bad hearing the people I’m with. Outdoors I’ve got no hope

Might be a stupid question but how do you refer to your hearing loss? I've been very recently diagnosed and trialing hearing aids. I've congenital hearing loss but wasn't identified until now, I'm 30. There's loads of friends I'm going to be seeing in the next few whatever and I'm suddenly wearing hearing aids... I don't think of myself as deaf as in my mind my hearing would be worse, but is that just a misconception? Do I say I've got a hearing impairment? partially deaf? Hearing loss?

However you feel comfortable. I say I’m deaf. Cos I mostly am…I only have about 20-30% of hearing in one ear.

I tend to say I'm partially deaf. It seems to be an easy way of explaining without me having to go into details. It kind of makes it clear that I can't hear well, but I do have some hearing. Otherwise hearing people get confused when they see my aids or when I speak perfectly clearly (I was an adult when I started losing my hearing). To deaf people it makes it clear that I'm not aligning myself with those who have always had a hearing loss or who are profoundly deaf.

But that's my choice. I have a Deaf friend who would not be bothered if I said just I'm deaf. Interestingly, though, I was talking to her a few weeks ago about a comedy gig I went to see and she asked if I could hear the comedians. She just accepted I had a hearing loss but we've never discussed just how much of a loss I have. We communicate in BSL so she has no experience of hearing me speak or realising I can hear when someone says my name to get my attention. It was most illuminating!

I say partially deaf because if you say deaf then people assume you're profoundly deaf.

I used to say hard of hearing but now I will probably say that I am a bit deaf or can't hear very well.

I was in post office in Smith's and found a T loop that worked!
I have to say it really makes a difference when I find one.
I've only found a working one 3 times max in my life. (Out of all the signs that say they have them)

Suzilike SuziQ I so love your word swimble - I can’t even do that despite 4wks of lessons with Margaret Kelly ( as a child) - I’m determined to get in the Penzance Geo pool for a dip though 👍🏿

I’ve used all the terms over the years and now just say deaf with a small d. As opposed to a culturally Deaf BSL user.

I’m really upset tonight and I don’t know if I’m being over sensitive. This might be long. Sorry.

If my adult son is driving he’s always got the stereo on in the car. Now we share the same music tastes so it’s not that which bothers me, it’s more that even with my bilateral hearing aids in I still struggle to process road noise, music and conversation. I don’t travel with him often, but if I’m in the back I really struggle and find it impossible to have a conversation with people in the front. In fact all I can generally hear is a hum of conversation, road noise and tsk tsk tsk bump bump of music.

today I’ve had to do a several hour journey with him. DH was in the front, me in the back. On the way there I said several times when they tried to talk to me that I was struggling with the music, but rather than turning it off they stopped talking to me.

on the way home it was much similar. I managed a conversation with DD who was also in the back with me, but she fell asleep and after 80 odd miles of failed conversation and the music again i gave in and turned off my hearing aids, sitting in silence for the rest of the journey.

I felt so sad. I really felt as though DS prioritised listening to music over my comfort and any conversation and as he and his Dad sat happily chatting I got more upset at being excluded.
By the time he dropped us home I said a quick goodnight and shot in the house, somewhere between anger and tears. I was expecting (D)h to apologise and say he hadn’t realised, but apparently no, I should be happy to be excluded and sit in silence because DS drove and he doesn’t understand why listening to a repetitive background noise could possibly be an issue.

It feels like just another in a long series of reasons why I’m starting to dislike him more and more tbh. I’ve messaged DS and he apologised, I don’t think he realises now I hear the world and I wish I could show him, but H has taken himself to bed in the other room and I’m sitting here thinking that this might well be the straw that broke it for me. We’ve been together a very long time and over the years I’ve always thought that everyone else came before me (his mother for one) but I’m beginning to see that he really won’t rock the boat to fight my corner and I’m finding it deeply unattractive.

might take myself off for the day tomorrow. Can’t be bothered with it. Tempting though before I do to leave the Alexa playing an annoying whistle and see if he likes several hours of it.

/end rant.

It's so shit to feel left out cos you can't hear and other people can isn't it ☹️

And no, other people don't get it.

I'm guessing it's about more than just this with the husband

But yes I can see why that made you feel upset ☹️

Oh hello.

I'm reading the thread and will be coming back to you lovely people. I'm post-middle-age and have had a roller coaster ride of deafness (completely dead ear from birth: right ear), bonkers denial and shame from family, and now tinnitus in my 'good ear' worsening over the years.

Been offered a BAHA. I think I'm too scared to try, tbh.

If you have RIC hearing aids, can you use over ear headphones? I'm finding the quality of streaming TV or music from my laptop or phone via the bluetooth straight to my hearing aids lacking.

I thought I would report my positive experience with audiology today. I couldn't believe I actually came out with hearing aids there and then. They were very lovely and spoke about the mental health impact of it all as well. I am 55 and work full time as a single parent and my hearing loss/tinnitus has been very stressful as I have been worried about my job. I haven't told anyone properly at work but I think I will have to. I have struggled along with online meetings putting on the captions which are often rubbish. But I am getting better at following a meeting using them which is interesting so there is a bit of practice involved. People assume they are inclusive in their outlook but the reality is very different if you actually have an impairment isn't it. During a recent meeting jokes were made about all being good at lipreading when the host failed to unmute. There is such a lack of awareness. I have no chance with accents and I had one awful situation with new colleagues where I just had to give up on the meeting as I couldn't understand a word - quite humiliating really!

Has anyone else been diagnosed with an auditory processing disorder? I always thought my hearing was just generally bad until an audiology consultant explained to me that although my physical hearing is fine, my brain can’t process the sounds. It stems from being deaf as a child until about 4 when an op fixed it. But apparently that’s your key language and hearing development so I can’t “hear” if I can’t also lipread, I can’t hear in noisy environments etc.

went to the audiologist as I couldn’t hear without my glasses on! That’s when I realised I’d been lip reading all my life.

noise cancelling earphones are a godsend as I can watch tv/answer phone calls etc
if there isn’t the background noise.

How do you get your hearing aid to stay in? I just ended up losing my temper and throwing it across the room because it's always wiggling loose and then it's uncomfortable and I can't hear.

It always stays in.
The bit behind the ear sometimes comes off and I have to say sometimes I look at other people with them in and they do fit them better behind the ear.
But it doesn't happen often enough to be annoying. I just pop it back behind the ear

Never had a problem with it staying in. But I suppose I’m well used to mine.

This sounds like the tubing is too long. Generally they should stay on the ear well.

It's only occasionally it's not something that is a problem.
I've got the shortest tube already mind

Oh sorry I think you were referring to me saying I've seen other people's fit better behind the ear weren't you .

Sorry I understand now.

But I do have the shortest tube already

It has been remarked upon that my ears are very small 🤣