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After all this time I have taken out hearing aids and I think its ok?

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Hi there,

So after loosing one hearing aid (don’t ask) and getting a set of loaners before ordering a new set….i have gone on a trip and forgot the loaners. To my dismay I am finding the “quiet” to be so comforting and relaxing. For sure in noisy situations I zone out as really hard to
follow conversations. However, when just one on one and in general
I seem to be getting by just fine. I do suffer from a fluctuating loss and it’s possible that maybe I’m going through a “good period”…….

I’m curious has anyone else gone down this route and just stopped wearing them? I’m finding the “quiet” to be so relaxing and way less stimulating!!! I’ve read that you should wear them full time to prevent the brain giving up on certain works and sounds being recognized. I just feel that my loss is not in that “bad” area yet and maybe it’s ok?

I have found that my wife has being really good about speaking up and facing me more when talking to me. Maybe I’m not noticing as much as I might be missing but the “comfort” level seems to be worth the challenge!!!

19 people in this conversation11 min readJump to latest

IF that is accurate I think most people would find it annoying to talk with you (unless you’re getting really good at reading lips (quite possible) I would encourage a visit to your audiologist. Maybe you can strike some kind of compromise. Yes, many people stop wearing them. My father-in-law did that because he enjoyed the quiet until he was visiting with family when he was frustrated that he couldn’t hear what was going on and we were frustrated having to yell at him.

My aids go in my ears the first thing in the morning and do come out until the last thing at night. I hate taking my aids out as my tinnitus starts screaming at me.

Others being good may not last very long, getting the aids adjusted properly and having a " in noise program" available for you to switch to is probably the best way for you to stay connected to the rest of the world and keeping all of your friends, I have been wearing aids for 20 years, I know, especially using the phone, that part is indispensable. Good luck and keep wearing them…

Point taken. Yelling was the only thing that worked on the phone. Basically having impaired hearing in a group is difficult because you’re wanting to hear conversations that aren’t directed at you so one doesn’t have the luxury of seeing people speak. Moot point now. He’s long since passed.

My mother would not wear her hearing aids.
My sister bought a bull horn to talk to her with.
It was the only way she heard us.
My late brother in law refused to wear his
Complained all they did was make everything but voices louder.
When the family got together he could not participate in the conversation.
He would just go outside and smoke his cigar.
My sister said he can’t hear.
If you continue to not wear your aids you may find yourself doing something like that.

My first hearing aid was one of the older analog type–they amplified everything–including the background noise. (I only had the one due to having a ruptured eardrum that couldn’t be repaired as I didn’t have health insurance at the time.)

Not wearing is not a good option - less stimulation of the brain. The organ would be less trained, which could, for example, accelerate cognitive decline.

A couple days a month, I may wait an hour or two before putting them (ha on right, on left). Both MD and want maximum time with both on.

In reply to @MDB

That doesn’t seem to fit with what he posted in his other posts, plus there seems to be a significant varible conductive loss at play.

I’m thinking there’s certainly a variable middle ear issue running too.

I agree, I also like the relaxing quietness of not having amplification. Often, when it gets within an hour or two of bedtime, I take the out a bit early. If I’m camping alone, I might take them out then, too. And if I’m driving by myself, I’ll click them down a couple of notches because, hey, who needs to listen closely to all that wind and engine noise?

In reply to @Neville

Yes. Thanks for asking. Interestingly, he wants to wear them and asks for them as soon as he wakes up. It’s only been a few weeks but I’m thinking he will continue as says it’s a big help.

Even though his loss is mild. The audiologist told me that his prescription is almost double what he was hearing. I believe she said a 10 decibel gain. That’s the part I get confused about…….

In reply to @Um_bongo

All my tests seem to vary. However this last one was almost dead flat….

When you talk about a middle ear issue…. What do you mean? If been to and no one has picked up anything. The only thing I can say if’s I get a fullness feeling constantly. It’s almost like an ear infection is brewing but never gets worse. Thanks.

In reply to @Johnmurphy

@Johnmurphy said:

The audiologist told me that his prescription is almost double what he was hearing. I believe she said a 10 decibel gain. That’s the part I get confused about…….

If the relative ratio of sound power increases by 10 , it is perceived subjectively as twice as loud.

If it increases by 20 dB, it is perceived as a fourfold increase in subjective loudness.

By 30 dB - 8x increase, etc.

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