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[newyears]

I have had an unfortunate series of events, which have led me to have some significant problems with my hearing. I have been attending certain events, both related to and not related to work, which have begun to seriously affect my hearing. I am certain my hearing, which hasn't been perfect in a long time, is now noticeably compromised.

Is anyone else dealing with this problem? More than the physical effects, this is beginning to affect my emotional state significantly. Perhaps a support group for academics dealing with this?

[arcanemoniker]

welcome to the club--I first discovered my hearing loss in college.  Since then, as I have aged, I am experiencing the usual middle age hearing loss on top of that.  It is very frustrating--it is conversations that give me the most trouble.  Sometimes I get tired of trying and just smile and nod.  There are some great new products out there--but they ain't cheep.  Get your hearing tested and see a real ENT.  Look at this site
http://www.gnresound.com/con-dot.html

Thank god for closed captioning--I can't watch TV without it!

[biomancer]

I had a long series of temporary bouts of hearing loss as a child and teen (severe repeating ear infections) and learned to read lips.  It's been a big help now that I'm starting to have trouble hearing over ambient noises (especially laboratory machinery).  I don't know if there are classes or tutorials or anything like that for lip-reading (the joy of learning as a child is that I have no clue how I learned it) but if you can teach yourself or find a way to learn, it might be really helpful.

[infopri]

My ears are fine, but problems with my Eustachian tubes have always garbled the sound a bit, making it challenging under some conditions for me to parse the words in a sentence.  As a result, I've been watching peoples' lips (instead of their eyes) all my life.  I can't read lips (I wish I could!), but seeing them move helps me to understand the sounds I'm hearing more accurately.

My mother lost all the hearing in one ear when she was in her mid-40s.  Several of my grandparents became very hard of hearing in their later years.  Watching them, coupled with my own experiences, has made me aware of just how isolating an experience hearing loss.  It's an invisible disability, and people forget (or are completely unaware) that you can't hear well.  As arcanemoniker says, sometimes it's easier to just smile and nod.  (I love closed-captioning, too, but My Better Half hates it, so I can only use it when he's not watching with me--and, truthfully, I need it only some of the time.)

The only suggestion I have is to give up those "events" (concerts?) or wear ear plugs, and try to save what hearing you have left!

[siduri]

I hear ya on this one!  (Except that I don't.)  My mother and grandmother both had early hearing loss--my mother was wearing hearing aids in her early 30s.  I'm beginning to experience some problems, especially in conversations where there is any noise around or when the speaker doesn't have a particularly resonant voice. I'm getting way too good at the smile and nod maneuver.  Since I live by myself, I can usually turn up the TV loud enough to not need closed captioning, but when cc is on, I do find it makes things easier.  I haven't been tested because I'm really afraid I'm going to have to wear hearing aids (I know this is silly, but there it is).

I wish I had some help for you--I really don't have suggestions except that I really like the idea of a support group for academics with hearing loss.  It can affect the job--I don't yet have too much trouble understanding students in class, but I fear that's coming.

[msparticularity]

My brother had otosclerosis (which it sounds like several of you might fit), and has had surgery on both ears now. His recovery is almost 100% - and he had gotten quite hard-of-hearing. Like several of you, he had been avoiding getting tested because of fear/denial, but I think now he's wondering why he waited so long.

[newyears]

I think I may have jumped the gun in my own informal diagnosis. My hearing is good up to about 15 khz (normal, young person's range of hearing is from 20 hz to 20 khz). So, as a person in my 30's, I may be a bit closer to average in this regard than I had suspected.

I can hear all base tones in the lowest registers just fine, although like I said, super high test tones above 16 khz are very tough for me to hear.

So the lesson to everyone is: avoid loud noises whenever possible. I will be carrying earplugs with me from now on, and will simply try to avoid loud situations with due diligence.

[zharkov]

I had ear infections as a kid and in my 20s, my hearing tested as below average.  I have had it tested every so often, and it isn't getting much worse, certainly not getting better.  The doctor told me that the choice about getting a hearing aid is mostly a lifestyle thing for people like me.  That is, if or when the time comes that poor hearing puts a crimp in my life, then get a hearing aid.

About lip reading, I was told that many or most people read lips to complement their hearing.  A hearing test, done correctly, should include both watching the technician speak phrases while seeing his/her mouth, and without seeing it.  Knowing that, I often need to insist that people face me when they talk to me.  (In addition to it being good manners.) 

In a class, I seldom sit down, and if I have a hard time hearing the question, will often walk closer to the student, and sometime emphasize the need for them to speak up.

You may remember the Seinfeld episode with the "low talker."  That can be a real frustration, although almost all people will "speak up!" when asked.

I've found that telephone customer support and tech support people are a problem.  Once, after asking a guy to "speak up" a couple of times, I told him to move the voice tube closer to his mouth, and that did the trick.  I also recently got a Uniden EZ1 996 on recommendations from the forumites, and that has help, as it has a very good volume control.

[newyears]

Zharkov, please don't get discouraged about having to ask people to speak up. I've had perfect hearing (or close to it) until this year (I think), and have regularly had to ask students to speak up many times in the past. I think it's just their sense of propriety, or more likely room acoustics, very frankly.

And I have had to ask people to speak up on the phone, so this is often a limitation of poor sound reproduction with phones in general.

[lenniel]

I have some hearing loss as well, for the same reasons as infopri and as an occupational hazard.  (Too many years as a pit musician, sitting in front of the brass) Well, and going to a lot of rock concerts ...I can lip read a little but the worst part is going to parties.  Fortunately, I hate parties so it is a great reason to skip them.  I have little ambient hearing left, so the lipreading helps, plus telling people to speak up.  I also turn the volume up on my phone handset.

I used to worry about asking people to speak up, but now have no qualms.  I try to sit near the front of everything, except concerts, and make sure my students know that I won't hear them if they mumble.  The TV is getting tougher to hear, so we tend to watch "deaf TV" a lot - really loud, and I sit on the floor so I can hear better.  The cats like it, so no problem, and I can't hear the phone - an added value. I should try CC.  I've been avoiding it out of stubbornness, but really appreciate it in lectures when they think of including such a thing.

Probably the toughest thing about the hearing loss for me is the strain to concentrate in difficult hearing environments.  It is tiring, and I wonder if anyone else experiences this?  Conferences are a little tough for this, but I just sit in the front so I can hear the speaker and converse with people in smaller groups, if necessary.  Still hard, and now I feel like an old fart for taking my ear plugs to rock concerts...:)

[biomancer]

... now I feel like an old fart for taking my ear plugs to rock concerts...:)

Heck, I've been wearing earplugs at rock concerts since I was 17!  I was the only person in my group of friends who could hear anything the day after a Metallica show.  I also wear them anytime I attend a motorsports event (my younger brother races motocross), or a major football game (though my beloved team's "new" field doesn't get nearly as loud as their old stadium did... I kind of miss that energy), and any time I use power tools.  I buy the 29 db earplugs in bulk.