My hearing loss, a surprise ending...

Oh is THIS ever going to start a debate. Never the less, I found it fascinating.

I was SICK of having to ask people to repeat themselves a half dozen times before I could understand what they were saying to me. I am not 'overly' vain... so wearing a hearing aid didn't trouble me in the least. Not even the big fat visible ones.

I finally went to have my hearing checked. First I went to COSTCO.. who does it for free. NOT experts although I'm sure they are qualified in what they do. After Costco I went to a Doctor... a hearing specialist. The verdict was the same... identical, amazingly so... and not just my 'results' but the reasons. I'm coming to that. Get ready to argue with me, or rather, them.

COSTCO first: They stopped the hearing test after 10 minutes. It usually takes an hour. The lady then explained.... I didn't have significant hearing loss. No reason to continue the tests. Hearing aids weren't the answer. So ok... she went on, explains why.. but I'm going to skip ahead because I didn't take her word for it... UNTIL... the Doctor, the Hearing Specialist, concurred with every single world she had told me.

Don't want to drag this out... I have loss of hearing in the VERY high frequencies.... the human voice, according to both Costco and the Doctor, only hits those frequencies on two occasions during speech. The "TH" sound and one other, which I forget. (Memory loss is another issue).

My hearing is SO good, in fact... that even people 50 years younger than me, on average, have similar hearing disabilities... nothing to be concerned about.

None of this made sense to me. I have to ask people to repeat themselves CONSTANTLY. I hate it.. I know it annoys them, it would annoy me.

Ok... the "surprise"... and probably the ensuing "You're full of #$#@ and got bad advice". Please try to remember... NOT saying I know this is fact... I'm NOT a Doctor in Hearing.... I'm merely repeating here.

I asked, "Why can't I understand what they are saying? I hear their voices, can't make out the words"?

Answer, from Costco AND the Doctor...and no quotes because I'm not repeating exactly what they said. Both told me - - - it's your generation. ?????????????? What the HELL did THAT mean????

Both went on to explain... "people mumble today". No one is exactly sure why but it's suspected that less actual human contact, (computers and internet), have brought about less focus on actually speaking to another person LIVE. That's theory, obviously. BUT... they have a point.

My grandkids are the worst.. except my 6 year old grandson who I can hear perfectly. Won't go into it... BUT... people today 'mumble' when they speak. Those who are used to it... like kids with kids, OR... and both Costco and the Doctor brought this up.. TEACHERS.... struggle less because they hear it frequently... they have 'learned' the new way of speaking.

For the rest of us, or rather, the "OLD" of us.... we aren't around it often, we can't 'hear' it.

MOVIES, (film), are recorded that way today. Ever notice? I have. Actors speak their lines often in muffled, (mumbled), tones. "reality". And that's true... being a dramatic arts major in college I'm aware of this... in the theater you "SPEAK UP"... you exaggerate... but today that isn't a requisite in film.

Skipping ahead once again... my 'hearing loss' isn't. It's an inability to hear speech as it's verbalized today... for the most part that is, (Yes, I do have some hearing loss, but nothing significant).

Music gives me no problem. I was worried about that... because I couldn't understand people speaking did it mean I wasn't hearing 'music' in it's full brilliance? That troubled me.. but NOT SO, according to those whom I just met and tested me. Especially with headphones, ( another topic I'm going to introduce in a thread after this one).

So anyway.... my hearing loss is minimal... an in truth... for an old man I can hear almost as well as you.... even if I ask you to stop mumbling. - JamesJM