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Hearing Aids

624 views 11 replies 10 participants last post by  JohnnyReb 
#1 ·
I was involved in an OIS several months ago and Work Comp gave me hearing aids. My questions for you guys. How many of you have hearing aids or desire to have them? Those of you that have them, how did you adjust/adapt and how did they help? Also, what did your fellow officers think? I had a difficult time adjusting. Sweat and rain cause problems but I have no issues with them staying in place. Most people either don't notice them or they won't ask about them if they do. I had some occupational hearing loss before the shooting so my quality of life has been increased dramatically.

There are several guys at my agency that have them but they are former military and are being assisted by the VA. They have issues with adapting but enjoy being able to hear people speak again.

My Audiologist suggested that we are coming to a time where hearing aids are becoming common place because of occupational and environmental exposure. He said that he believes that soon the devices will become as common place as eyeglasses. The cost will have to come down a lot of insurance will have to cover the devices I think before they become common.

What say you?
 
#2 ·
I know, after 32 years of sirens, blaring radios, 12 years of thunder flashes. 40 years of shooting. I've got hearing loss. I always want the tv a little louder. I can just barely hear the beep on the electronic keypad on the outside door of the station.

I can generally hear 99% of conversations. When I am the guy constantly saying "what?", I guess I'll do something about it.

I e been nearsighted my whole life. And, I've always worn contacts at work. The idea of glasses getting fogged, rained on, knocked off always bothered me. I think I'd feel the same a out a hearing aid. If the made one that fit in my ear and could not dislodge, maybe.
 
#3 ·
I'm going to have to make that decision sometime as well. Years ago i had a shooting with a rifle. Over the last couple of years i can definitely tell i have some loss now
 
#4 ·
I suffered an apparent loss of some high frequency hearing due to chemo 6 years ago.

A doctor told me the range of loss I'd suffered made it difficult for me to hear TV, women and children's voices.

Sitting next to my wife in the office of the doctor, I replied by telling her that I'd still like to hear the TV.

Perhaps predictably, it was a tough audience and I didn't get a lot of sympathy.

I'm going to get around to getting the hearing aids, because WC covered it, but I've procrastinated a bit. Yes, I play the TV louder than my wife appreciates. My granddaughters don't seem to mind raising their voices, oddly enough.

If I was still working, I'd not have dragged my feet so long for getting fitted for the small ones I'm told will work (and my loss is apparently "borderline").

When I reviewed the color choices, I asked for candy apple red, but they only had some other muted colors available. I told the doctor that having a buzzed head and not being particularly vain, I'd rather have them be a bright color I could easily see among the clutter of my dresser in the morning. Vanity in the way of matching hair color isn't an issue for me. ;)
 
#6 ·
in 2008 I was involved in a OIS and had ar15s on each side of me.... I swear that I lost some hearing that night but never got tested.... we just don't have that sort of care for officers here. to be fair I didn't ask, I just mentioned that my ears occasionally ring for a short time....
 
#7 ·
I have some hearing loss. It's noticeable when in a crowd. In the last couple years, it's become pretty hard for me to understand what someone is saying, even face-to-face.

I suspect it's mostly from 27 years of driving with the left window down and the radio speaker blaring in my right ear.
 
#8 ·
Firearms, Loud MC engines, Loud Bands(Security), and now I am having difficulty myself. I need to check w/ the City's HR to see if we have hearing aid coverage. Oh well, I just keep on keepin' on, I guess.
 
#12 ·
I've got tinnitus that flares up from time to time. Several years ago I suddenly lost hearing in my right ear, but it got better in a week's time.

I have some hearing loss, likely from being inside a loud jail for 10 years, shooting, and not taking care of myself and using hearing protection when operating lawn care equipment.
 
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