By Adrienne Asher

My hearing has not been good for years, but recently I found out just how bad it really is.

Years ago I damaged the hearing in my left ear after going to a concert with my best friend. We both forgot to bring earplugs and during a break, ran to the restroom to stuff our ears with toilet paper.

It worked for her, but not for me. After experiencing a rushing in my ears, I was referred to an audiologist for a hearing test and found out that I had nerve damage in my left ear.

As the years went by, and my hearing loss progressed, I attributed it to aging. It got to the point where people were noticing my hearing difficulties. I had to ask everyone to repeat themselves multiple times and kept apologizing. 

Finally, after talking to my primary physician, she referred me to an ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor). When I called to make an appointment with the ENT, I was told I had to make an appointment to have a hearing test done by an audiologist the same day before I saw him.

I had the hearing test and to no one’s surprise, least of all my own, I was told that I needed hearing aids. So I got them.

Two weeks after my hearing test, I went back for a hearing aid consultation. I was fitted for hearing aids and got to try them in the office. Two weeks after that, I went back to pick them up.

Now I have been wearing my hearing aids for a little over a week, and it’s a whole new world. I’m hearing sounds that I never realized I was missing, sounds I haven’t heard in years.

Of course it’s a big adjustment to suddenly being able to hear again. Everything is so much louder. I actually jump at loud sounds sometimes.

I’ve also had to adjust to the hearing aids themselves. My ears were sore for the first two to three days, but that went away. Then there is the fact of my ears being itchy, but that is not uncommon.

I’m still getting used to my new world of sound. I no longer have to strain to hear people when they are speaking, or ask them to repeat themselves. I don’t have to ask my husband to turn the volume way up high when we watch TV, which I’m sure our neighbors appreciate as well.

Not everyone will be as accepting of their hearing loss as I am. It’s not an easy thing to admit to.

I’m here to tell you, have your hearing tested and get hearing aids if you need them. Yes, they are very expensive, and not all insurance companies cover them, but they are well worth it.

If you have a hearing loss, get help. Get hearing aids. Your life will be so much better because of it. I know that, because mine is.

Adrienne Asher lives in Florida.

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