Taking the first step to make an appointment with an audiologist and having your hearing tested is a big one. It takes an average of 7 years for a person with hearing loss to acknowledge that they need help. We asked our Facebook community to share what made them decide to go in and have a hearing test.
“I was holding my newborn grand-daughter and her mother was whispering to me so that the baby would not wake and I couldn’t hear a word she said.” (Doris)
“I couldn’t hear my students, and family asked me why I turned the radio and TV up so loud!” (Kris)
“In a few months, it wasn’t possible for me to hear the front door bell anymore.” (Hennie)
“My beloved wife :)” (Alan)
“I had ear pain after an airplane flight. It turned into a humming in my left hear and sometimes something high pitched in my right. The flight was at Christmas 2012, and the humming continues today. I compare it to a fog horn in the distance. The hearing test went well, and they did not give me any insight to why I suddenly have these issues. My last trip I used some earplugs my sister recommended that are for using specifically on a plane. I did not feel the pain again, but I’ve flown a lot in the last 5 years and the Dec trip was the first time I’ve felt anything painful in my ears.” (Cindy)
“It was the first time they were offering free testing. Then after that, I could not afford hearing aids. So me and my big mouth made a real polite comment about why insurance in general would not cover hearing aids. My HR director saw the post and said they made ours start about three years earlier; they had just never made it public. So now I have them.” (Craig)