I didn't realize how long it had been since my last post! Almost a year to the date of the last post, so I guess it's time I update on how things have been going! It's been a little over a year as well since I got my hearing aids.
I'll looked back at my last blog entry and I had mentioned getting some in the ear hearing aids, which I actually did do. However they drove me nuts and the way they were made it kept hitting the phone and often disconnecting me on the cordless. So I went back to my BTE's and have been with them since.
Life has changed a bit for me to say the least, I can tolerate louder noises now compared to a year ago. I love being in one room and being able to hear Hailey call out from the other one or the other side of the house for that fact. This is really nice since we moved into our new house in Oct of 08. Some days I feel like I am still adjusting, for instance if there is alot of noise around me, I still have a little trouble hearing. If the girls are playing with a loud toy and I am in the same room trying to have a conversation with someone, I need to be sitting near them so I can hear.
Another thing I have noticed is that I will say something and either I am speaking to low or not articulating enough, since I often have to repeat it. I think I am hearing myself be "loud" but I am not really being loud lol. I really can't say enough about how much having these hearing aids has changed my life. I can go out and enjoy conversation and friends without feeling like an outsider because I can't hear nor understand what they are saying. I feel like people are more open to talking to me now, since I can hear as I do think I was avoided before.
I'll try to keep updating here as life goes on, but so far so good, other than having to replace batteries about every week lol thankfully they are included in the price I paid!
Showing posts with label hearing disorder. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hearing disorder. Show all posts
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Hearing Disorder Support~Oct 11
I have been searching for a couple of days now for online support groups for adults with hearing disorders and to be honest there really isn't to many for those with disorders and not completely deaf. I came across many many groups for parents of deaf children, for adults that are deaf but I couldn't find one I truly felt like I could fit into.
My "disorder" is a progressive one called stapedial otosclerosis and from the House Clinic.com site states:
"Otosclerosis is an abnormal, microscopic growth of bone in the walls of the inner ear. This abnormal growth causes the stapes bone (also called the "stirrup") to become immobile or "fixed". Normally the stapes vibrates freely to allow the transmission of sound to the inner ear, but when it cannot move, it prevents sound waves from reaching the inner ear fluids, and hearing is impaired.
Otosclerotic bone sometimes involves other structures of the inner ear, thereby affecting the nerves of the inner ear. When this occurs it also causes a distortion or difficulty in understanding the speech of others, regardless of how loudly they talk.
Otosclerosis affects only the ears and usually involves both ears. It occurs in men and women with almost equal frequency and usually begins in the teens or early twenties. Although otosclerosis tends to run in families, there is no pattern to its heredity.
"Stapedial OtosclerosisUsually otosclerosis spreads to the stapes or stirrup bone, the final link in the middle ear transformer chain. This stapes rests in a small groove, the oval window, in intimate contact with the inner ear fluids. Anything that interferes with its motion results in a conductive hearing impairment. This type of impairment is called stapedial otosclerosis and is usually correctable by surgery.
The amount of hearing loss due to involvement of the stapes and the degree of nerve impairment present can be determined only by careful hearing tests."
You can read more at House Clinic about the two treatments that are available to those with my disorder. Hearing aids or surgery which is called a stapedectomy.
My ENT told me that it was a hereditary disorder so not sure what to think about that but my mother is hard of hearing in her left ear which is also my worst ear. Either way I am losing my hearing and honestly it's much worse than I had anticipated when I went to the ENT.
These 2 charts show a difference in hearing normally and below normal. The first chart shows db at 20 or less that is normal range of hearing. The second shows the db down to 50 this shows hearing loss.
My personal chart was in the 80's which is Severe Hearing Loss. That means I do not hear normal range of sound, if you are across the room and talking to me in a normal voice I will not hear you. In fact my range of hearing never got above below avg hearing mark even on the highest pitch sounds.
So those of you who know me and talk to me via phone or in person know that I am not ignoring you I really can not hear you. I hope this helps explain my hearing loss a bit better.
My "disorder" is a progressive one called stapedial otosclerosis and from the House Clinic.com site states:
"Otosclerosis is an abnormal, microscopic growth of bone in the walls of the inner ear. This abnormal growth causes the stapes bone (also called the "stirrup") to become immobile or "fixed". Normally the stapes vibrates freely to allow the transmission of sound to the inner ear, but when it cannot move, it prevents sound waves from reaching the inner ear fluids, and hearing is impaired.
Otosclerotic bone sometimes involves other structures of the inner ear, thereby affecting the nerves of the inner ear. When this occurs it also causes a distortion or difficulty in understanding the speech of others, regardless of how loudly they talk.
Otosclerosis affects only the ears and usually involves both ears. It occurs in men and women with almost equal frequency and usually begins in the teens or early twenties. Although otosclerosis tends to run in families, there is no pattern to its heredity.
"Stapedial OtosclerosisUsually otosclerosis spreads to the stapes or stirrup bone, the final link in the middle ear transformer chain. This stapes rests in a small groove, the oval window, in intimate contact with the inner ear fluids. Anything that interferes with its motion results in a conductive hearing impairment. This type of impairment is called stapedial otosclerosis and is usually correctable by surgery.
The amount of hearing loss due to involvement of the stapes and the degree of nerve impairment present can be determined only by careful hearing tests."
You can read more at House Clinic about the two treatments that are available to those with my disorder. Hearing aids or surgery which is called a stapedectomy.
My ENT told me that it was a hereditary disorder so not sure what to think about that but my mother is hard of hearing in her left ear which is also my worst ear. Either way I am losing my hearing and honestly it's much worse than I had anticipated when I went to the ENT.
These 2 charts show a difference in hearing normally and below normal. The first chart shows db at 20 or less that is normal range of hearing. The second shows the db down to 50 this shows hearing loss.
My personal chart was in the 80's which is Severe Hearing Loss. That means I do not hear normal range of sound, if you are across the room and talking to me in a normal voice I will not hear you. In fact my range of hearing never got above below avg hearing mark even on the highest pitch sounds.
So those of you who know me and talk to me via phone or in person know that I am not ignoring you I really can not hear you. I hope this helps explain my hearing loss a bit better.
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