Hearing Impairment and My Struggle

Greetings, I have battled with my own thoughts for the past week as to how I could handle this topic that I am addressing here. Sadly I am not one to do deep research into a topic nor am I one to do even the slightest research. I am more of a write what is there kind of person.

The funny part is when it comes to my mental health I am more open to how the days , weeks or months take me. But on this little topic only a few know of this issue. That is the trials of Hearing Impairment. BUT why am I so reluctant to come forward and discuss this? Maybe it is more of ego and a desire to battle this one on my own.

My hearing issues began as a child in a primary school run at the time by Christian Brothers. This was back in early 1970’s when punishment was acceptable in schools and teachers had the right to correct a student as they saw fit. I thought it far more interesting in watching birds at play in the early summer sun than listening to a teacher spout his version of Irish history. Thus I was brought back to reality with a Punch that lifted me off the floor for a brief moment.

From then I have had Tinnitus , that awful irritating ringing in my ears. Google in its wisdom describes

Tinnitus is the perception of noise or ringing in the ears. A common problem, tinnitus affects about 15 to 20 percent of people. Tinnitus isn’t a condition itself — it’s a symptom of an underlying condition, such as age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.

Whatever the explanation it was my silent battle, until I was involved in a minor traffic accident in which Air Bags were triggered and with pressure that built up as a result and windows in the motor closed I found myself with deteriorating hearing , that combined with the usual age related loss…

This is why I use Hearing aids, It has been an issue for me to hear soft spoken people or certain vowels, letters or numbers etc. Basically certain levels of sound is where I fall short as it were in hearing. It has been a fun game for a few years for me, as music is played to repeat what I heard and what was actually said, which all too often are very different. It has also been a fun game with my adult children to repeat what I thought they said which again will be different to what was said.

Prior to using hearing aids I had gone so long without hearing The little Sparrows chirp and sing or any small birds for that matter. Even the sound of trickling water was an unknown sound for me. Now with hearing aids I have been enjoying a life I believe others take for granted. Listening to those soft sounds, the song of the little birds in the morning sun or the sound from a little stream trickle by.

BUT it still does pose a problem, especially heightened in this age of wearing face masks to cease spreading a virus. I am now faced with the inability to hear so many more due to not being able to see a persons mouth as they speak, this IF I were to lip read Was not an impossibility. BUT it does help me to formulate what is being said. BUT that is if i were alone, It is now an increased possibility that I will require someone with me to repeat what someone says from behind face protection. Thus my frustration with such an age we live in.

We forget about members in society that struggle in one capacity of another yet we are caught up with our own desire to survive… But at home my games of Impaired hearing continues with My loved playlists and those of my daughters as I repeat what I hear.

I hope i have explained what the issue is and the problems it causes. I have however left out speaking very much on the ringing in my ears in an attempt to also show the lighter side of life withthis probem. NO, I have never enjoyed true silence since childhood, for that is replaced with that horrible riniging that increases with silence or so it seems. Anyway I do hope that you can understand my points and what I tried to cover here.

Regardles of the issues we have in life we can see the brighter side and make a little laugh and fun for some in the midst of it. There is much more I could write on this but fear that this much alone is enough for one post.

Therefore remember to watch out for thse who may appear or Not even appear so easily to struggle in society. Watch out for tjhose about you, you may not realise their struggles.. Take care, stay safe and God Bless until next time.