Hearing aids saved my marriage

Jeffrey J. Johnston, BC-HIS Family & Relationships, Hearing Aids

Jeffrey J. Johnston, BC-HIS

A lot of people with hearing loss will try to laugh it off when confronted with the fact that they just don’t hear as clearly as they used to. Usually they are the only one laughing.

Over 20 years ago when I had just started fitting hearing aids I worked with a gentleman and his wife who, let’s just say, were not on the same page about his hearing loss and the effect it was having on the relationship. He felt he heard “just fine” and that she mumbled all the time. She said “he always asks me to repeat or asks what the waitress said, or what was said on TV.” Then she would miss what was being said. They couldn’t watch TV in the same room because he needed it so loud. His hearing loss was obviously causing challenges in the home.

This story has repeated itself many, many times in my career. Often times the person with the loss does not understand how it affects the entire family. They don’t understand that one of the most compassionate things they can do is get help.

I worked with that man and his wife for a month and when it was time to schedule his quarterly appointment, the wife, with tears in her eyes, said thank you, you saved my marriage.

Most of my hearing aid fittings end with a grateful family and a patient who says, “I really should have done this sooner.” If you suspect you have hearing loss, come see us for a hearing test, explanation, and if desired, an in-office demonstration. Most likely you will be amazed at all the sounds you have been missing. Some of these sounds will be welcomed and beautiful and some of them will be strange and annoying.

Fortunately, today’s technology makes the transition to wearing hearing aids much more comfortable. They help us ease the patient into better hearing a little bit at a time. We can now program the hearing aids to give between 70% and 90% correction at the fitting and set the hearing aids to “tune up” automatically over a 1-2 month period until we have reached the desired targets based on our initial testing.

With all kinds of devices hanging on peoples ears these days the stigma of hearing aids is a thing of the past. Do yourself and your family a favor, get checked out today. Schedule an appointment here.