As requested here’s my experience with trying out a pair of over-the-counter, in ear, hearing aids (HAs).
For several years I’ve been aware that my ability to hear was diminishing, especially in noisy settings. This worsened considerably with COVID when everyone began to wear masks. In some situations I was completely unable to comprehend what was said to me but I ignored it and went on. This situation became increasingly concerning for me whenever I interacted with others at the dentist and at my primary health care provider’s office. But somehow I denied the significance of the loss and struggled to get by despite some well-meaning badgering from friends. Was there any hope for me - that I would eventually accept the loss and take action?
As a chronic do-it-yourselfer, I was pleased last year to hear that the FDA was to regulate the sell of over-the-counter HAs that did not require a visit to a doctor or an audiologist or a prescription. These were for people with mild or moderate hearing loss. So, I waited a few months to see what the companies put on the market. Then last month I purchased a set of Sony HAs online and at a significant cost savings as compared to the normal route. It came with an app that tested each ear separately and used the outcomes to set personalized defaults for me (Sony pairs you with one of six acoustic settings that are based on data from large numbers of individuals). So, how are they doing?
In social situations after 10 days I can definitely hear what others are now saying and as a result I pay more attention to them. The amplification also increases environmental, ambient sounds but the vocals still come through clearly.
The app allows for fine tuning the personalized default settings and I’ll eventually do this hopefully to somewhat decrease environmental noise but not totally - as I can now hear with pleasure a water fountain at a distance near home, more birds chirping and footsteps, my own and others outside. It seems like a “superpower”!
Overall, the HAs have increased quality of life as they’ve provided a much richer experience of people and the world that I’d not previously appreciated was missing. I had not equated hearing loss with loss of quality of life and relationships nor pleasure. What was lost was found it seems so in a sense it’s a born again situation. For now I’m staying tuned and open to any surprises that might come this way.
Overall, the HAs have increased quality of life as they’ve provided a much richer experience of people and the world that I’d not previously appreciated was missing. I had not equated hearing loss with loss of quality of life and relationships nor pleasure. What was lost was found it seems so in a sense it’s a born again situation. For now I’m staying tuned and open to any surprises that might come this way.
