What age were you when you started loosing your hearing?

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Zaphod Beeblebrox

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Started noticing it in my mid 30's. I'd roll over in bed and suddenly, the ceiling fan got loud. My right ear can't hardly hear it. Years of shooting "just .22" without hearing protection and going to the Ted Nugent School of Volume Control are most likely to blame. I can hear ok, but if the room is loud, I have real difficulty following a conversation. And Mrs. Zap is always getting pizzed when I watch a movie, because I have to turn it up to understand the voices, and then gunfire/artillery starts and the house shakes.

I'm trying to avoid hearing aids because I still love listening to music on my old school audio rig, and I'm afraid the aids would affect my enjoyment. I don't listen nearly as loudly anymore.
 

ronny

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I did quail and dove hunt for about 20 years, and didn't use hearing protection while hunting like most people at the time.I also worked around large tonnage chillers for 30 years and I did use hearing protection at work.Guess I will just get use to it.
Probably not. The type of hearing loss that affects certain frequencies tends to get progressively worse to the point you will find it very difficult to make out human speech, especially in noisy environments.

The good news is that a "pill" is in development which is supposed to grow back the hairs, the loss of which is responsible for this kind of hearing loss. Probably too late for me, though.
 

dennishoddy

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Probably not. The type of hearing loss that affects certain frequencies tends to get progressively worse to the point you will find it very difficult to make out human speech, especially in noisy environments.

The good news is that a "pill" is in development which is supposed to grow back the hairs, the loss of which is responsible for this kind of hearing loss. Probably too late for me, though.

I hope that's true about the pill. Nerve damage is also an issue that can't be fixed.
I lost mine in the Army when younger. Well documented in my records.
Joined the Army Reserves a couple years after active duty, had to do a physical that required a hearing test. Got out for a couple of years, and joined the Army Reserves again. Another hearing test showed it going down all the time. I was in a training unit serving as a drill sergeant. Lots of time at the ranges at summer camp, and I don't think they had a clue at that time about what constituted proper hearing protection.
I knew the hearing was in jeopardy, and have gone above and beyond trying to protect it while mowing, and on the job, but it continues to slide down hill.
Nerve damage.
The VA in OKC has really stepped up and helped with getting the best aids available that are amazing.
The hearing will never come anywhere close to normal, but the personally tunable aids are a blessing in that in different environments, I can tune them to the optimum that enhances where I'm at and what noise level I'm experiencing.
Restaurants, etc.
 

easy

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Wife says I can't hear her. It's not the 'loss' as much as the background interference as mentioned earlier. And then there's the constant ringing..... VA says, 'here have some more money, see ya'.
 

rawhide

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I'm 55 and tinnitus began about 3 years ago. Left ear rings nonstop. Haven't been tested so I don't know if it's hearing loss so much as the ringing. The more background noise the more difficult it is for me to hear normal conversation.

As a youngster I shot a lot of shotgun and .22s. My doctor says left year tinnitus for right hand shooter is common. Having to start wearing readers to read is annoying but not being able to hear normally bothers me much more. Watching TV at home is greatly improved with wireless headphones.
 

rawhide

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The good news is that a "pill" is in development which is supposed to grow back the hairs, the loss of which is responsible for this kind of hearing loss. Probably too late for me, though.
I heard about this as well on a medical program. The doctors talked about an injection or a gel that is in the experimental stages and they were unclear about how often it would have to be applied but indicated it would be frequently. A "pill" would be nice.
 

dennishoddy

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Wife says I can't hear her. It's not the 'loss' as much as the background interference as mentioned earlier. And then there's the constant ringing..... VA says, 'here have some more money, see ya'.

Confusing reply.
What did they determine to be your disability percentage wise?
If it's under 40% they won't give hearing aids if I remember right.
You can pm it if you don't want to disclose.
 

Podman

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I think around 75. Got hearing aids and they help especially around restaurants, and large people gatherings. Work great on tv too.
Hope that pill will help too, if and when they release it.
 

Mos Eisley

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Mine maybe began to get worse around 48. I can't stand loud restaurants! Loud concerts, fine. I'm not trying to talk to someone at those. When the one son of mine who has a very deep voice comes in and starts talking to my wife while I'm watching TV, I have to pause it because I can't hear crap when he's talking. But overall it's still not bad.

There are hearing tests you can take on the internet with headphones. I found that pretty interesting. Especially when I had my young boys do it and compared mine. Jeesh!
 

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