I can hear you now: Learning to love hearing aids

Carla Christian

50plus Magazine

When I lost one of my hearing aids on a camping trip, I was devastated. I’d been carefully tending a pair purchased a decade before, probably a record for hearing aid life. I didn’t want to spend on new aids or deal with adapting to new technology. Unfortunately, my exhaustive search for the lost aid was unsuccessful.

I didn’t originally go into hearing aid use eagerly. Two things changed that: not understanding my professor during graduate classes, and not being able to hear my riding instructor. As a horse lover, I got motivated.

I bought my first hearing aids from an audiologist. They were top of the line, with sophisticated programming to match my pattern of hearing loss. They worked. But for many reasons —they made my ears itch, the sound quality was weird, and I was afraid of losing them — I wore them only when there was something I really wanted to hear. It may seem odd, but what my husband had to say around the house wasn’t one.

Then I started seeing new research on the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. When the auditory nerve lacks stimulation it loses function, and the ability to discriminate speech can be permanently lost. At the same time, the brain atrophies for lack of stimulation. This was really motivating.

My hearing aids had become constant companions, so I’d grown used to them by the time I lost one. They allowed me to join conversations, use the phone and enjoy movies. I no longer responded with vague platitudes, a friendly, vacant smile or asking, “What did you say?”

This time around, I had options for my purchase. Over-the-counter hearing aids were authorized by the FDA in 2022, at prices below custom-fitted products. The lower cost was appealing, but not as much as the support I’d received from my audiologist over the years.

Technology changes a lot in 10 years. My new hearing aids have improved programming for my hearing loss pattern and speech discrimination. They can connect with my phone or other devices, and I can adjust them using an app. Loud background noise in a restaurant? No problem — there’s a setting for that.

Also, I learned I’d worn the wrong size “ear tip” for years. My audiologist “fitted” me, making them secure and comfortable. As my hearing is different in each ear, I need two diverse types of tips. One allows more ambient noise to pass through for natural sound quality while the other concentrates sound for the ear with less hearing.

They’re also rechargeable, and a charger case was just a few extra bucks, a great convenience when adventuring.

Finally, they come with ongoing support. My audiologist emphasized that the initial settings were just a starting point. With each visit she listens thoughtfully to my experience, asks about how they’re working in different settings, and adjusts them through her computer.

I never thought I’d say this, but I love my hearing aids. They are convenient and easy to wear, and they give me a ticket to a world of sounds I’d otherwise miss. I can hear the birds outside my window and bats in the night. I can hear a child tell me a story. And yes, I can hear my husband, and he is delighted.