I have been told that maybe I should consider a hearing aid. That is a nice way to say my hearing isn’t worth a sh–!
Easy for you to say. Hearing loss is subjective and usually self-diagnosed. I have noticed a lot of people don’t pronounce words distinctly or mumble in low tones. When do you know that you need the assistance of a hearing aid. Huh? I ask you. Huh?
Hearing aids range in cost from $2,000 to $8,000 for a pair (or higher). The cost for retirees is not covered by insurance. After spending that kind of money you risk paying for “aids” that don’t fit, are hard to operate and overamplify background noises.
To do it right, you start with an otolaryngologist (an ear, nose and throat specialist) who will eventually send you to a registered audiologist for testing to confirm that your hearing is sh–tty. Then you need to find the hearing device that works for you.
I’m considering getting a hearing aid that gets stuffed into my ear with Bluetooth capability so I can use a discrete remote control to change volume, turn the “aid” on or off, toggle between electronic devices, answer hands free phone calls and stream music into my ear. It is a wireless headset in my ear. Yeah, right!
People that sell hearing aids need to be added to the list of sleezy professions like car salesmen, real estate agents and lawyers. The industry is filled with high commission products and aggressive sales types.
I haven’t met a single person with a hearing aid that is satisfied. A lot of them say “huh” too.
Well, I’m off to Walmart to check out hearing aids. Huh? What’s that you say? Don’t sleep out? Oh, don’t cheap out. Speak up! Quit mumbling.
The assumption here is that not being able to hear is a bad thing. Silence can be golden.
Love,
Dad