I am partially blind and deaf. My loss of vision caused by glaucoma is unusual. My loss of hearing is not. According the American Academy of Family Physicians, “A 25 decibel hearing loss affects about 37% of adults 61 to 70 years of age, 60% of adults 71 to 80 years of age, and more than 80% of adults over 85.” I am presently 83.
I am more blind than deaf. My hearing loss is classified as moderate, but is the more difficult to live with. That is because of people.
People are generally considerate of those who cannot see. When after some of the five surgeries on my right eye I had to wear an eye patch, people treated me with courtesy and even in busy airports gave me space. The almost instinctive reaction to those who have trouble hearing is frustration, irritation and sometimes anger, as if the one who cannot hear is doing so deliberately.
For myself I have worn eyeglasses since I was a child. I have worn hearing aids since my early seventies. My vision seems to be stable. My hearing will only get worse.
So I suggest you try to be tolerant of the hard of hearing. It will not be easy.
You might do so because if you live long enough you are likely to become one of them. Or you might do so just because it is kind.
7 comments:
Webb - At age 67, I have mild hearing loss. I wear hearing aids and in most environments they do help. The worst environment is a loud restaurant, especially one with tile or cement floors or high ceilings, where hearing can be difficult, especially the soft, high frequency voices of many women. I do not wear them when I am sailing. I may be missing out on the high frequency sounds of some birds or sea life.
I feel blessed to be alive and have a wonderful life and live with the few minor inconveniences.
Scott
S/V "Free Spirit"
1975 Ranger 23
Los Angeles
When my father lost much of his hearing in his early 80s he either bought or made a lapel button that said "Hard of hearing. Please speak up!".
Hugh
Webb, I did not realize this was not normal, but I have had ringing in my ears since I was a child. I am 53. I recognize I have hearing loss, if I don't have vibrate on, quite frequently my wife tells me my phone is ringing or my watch alarm is going off, and I do not hear it..those higher frequencies I do not hear at any distance more than 70cm or so. The biggest trouble is large crowds with background noise trying to pay attention to a conversation I am involved in. I often use the closed captioning on television, so I do not have to audio blast the wife, and without CC I lose a lot of dialog. I am a bit stubborn, but an audiologist is my in plans. Partly because my 85 year old step-father refuses to get hearing aids and he does not 'hear' you unless he can see you and read your lips...this is difficult on his sailboat. I don't want to be the old curmudgeon, so this is reminding me to schedule an appointment. thanks.
Amen to “just because it’s kind”!
I sympathise. Same age as Shawn, and suffer from tinnitus as he describes. I often have difficulty following conversation, especially if it's in a crowded room, against a noisy background, or somebody's speech is simply too quiet or unclear for any reason.
I will initially apologise and ask somebody to repeat themselves if I can't follow, explaining as I do that my hearing's a bit shot. But if the problem persists then I'm as likely to smile, nod and move on rather than persist and embarrass myself further by continuously asking them to repeat themselves.
In my case, the tinnitus is almost certainly self inflicted, by not taking as much care over my hearing as I should have over years of playing with my band. It's one of the few things in life that had I a second chance, I'd absolutely do it different.
Popular topic among your readers Webb. My hearing loss is more profound than that of anyone I know. That's why I love singlehanded sailing so much! I'm blessed with fewer distractions from the sailing experience.
I appreciate all your comments and trust that it is understood that I wrote about my own infirmities in an attempt to inform those who may not know of the different reactions to loss of sight and to loss of hearing and perhaps effect a modest change of behavior.
I, too, do not wear my hearing aids while sailing. If I did inevitably one or both would end up in the water. And I too, who have always liked solo sailing, do now even more because it is a respite from the problem of hearing or not hearing what others are saying.
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