Our physical bodies are wonderful things. As an engineer I appreciate the technical complexity of the various functions including our brain and thought process, muscles, digestion, vision, touch, smell, taste, growth and repair, disease control, and hearing. My first engineering boss admonished me to copy nature in my engineering designs, and I have found success as I have followed the example of the supreme designer of the universe.One of our five senses is hearing. As a young boy I was blessed with an ear for music. I was able to tune my violin by listening to adjacent strings played together. I love to sing and to play numerous musical instruments. However, our ability to hear is based upon very delicate mechanical and electrical components inside our bodies. They can be damaged by loud noises as well as disease and normal aging.
Over my lifetime I have seen a gradual degradation in my ability to hear. Some of it may have been caused by playing loud music. It may have been caused by shooting guns without hearing protection. I am sure some damage was caused as I worked on servo motor design at Burroughs when loud noise from the motors caused physical pain. Then there is normal hearing loss due to age. My father and most of my grandparents had severe hearing loss as they got old. In addition I have ringing in my ears. That is more of an annoyance as it is a limitation.
I have had my hearing tested on numerous occasions during my life and the tests have confirmed what I suspected. My hearing is getting worse with age. Most of my hearing loss is at higher frequencies which means that everything I hear sounds muffled. I have a difficult time hearing consonants, which means I can't understand people with high voices, and most children.
I have compensated for my hearing loss by talking louder and asking people to repeat things when they talk. I sit close to the front in meetings and locate my seat closest to those with quiet voices. This helps a little but I can't sit close to everyone.
My hearing loss has become such a problem that I finally decided that I would get some type of hearing aid.
There are many types of hearing aids and numerous companies that manufacture and sell them. They are quite expensive as well! A good pair of hearing aids can easily cost over $5000. The prices can get much higher, especially if you add channels, and extras such as remote controls.
When I first put my new hearing aids in place I was amazed at the sounds that I could hear again. I had nearly forgotten them. It reminded me of the day I got my first pair of eye glasses. I realized that the green part of trees were made up of individual leaves and that there was cement between the bricks on the wall. There weren't two moons in the sky and I could read the words on traffic signs even at night.
That is how it was when I tried on my hearing aids. It was almost as though I could hear through the office walls. I could hear conversations across the room between people who weren't even facing my direction. I could hear consonants as well as vowels, which I had missed for so many years. It is a great blessing to be able to hear again and I am grateful for those who have made this miracle possible in my life, including engineers, doctors and audiologists, insurance companies and my employer who provides my job with health insurance so that I could afford to hear once more.
Over my lifetime I have seen a gradual degradation in my ability to hear. Some of it may have been caused by playing loud music. It may have been caused by shooting guns without hearing protection. I am sure some damage was caused as I worked on servo motor design at Burroughs when loud noise from the motors caused physical pain. Then there is normal hearing loss due to age. My father and most of my grandparents had severe hearing loss as they got old. In addition I have ringing in my ears. That is more of an annoyance as it is a limitation.
I have had my hearing tested on numerous occasions during my life and the tests have confirmed what I suspected. My hearing is getting worse with age. Most of my hearing loss is at higher frequencies which means that everything I hear sounds muffled. I have a difficult time hearing consonants, which means I can't understand people with high voices, and most children.
I have compensated for my hearing loss by talking louder and asking people to repeat things when they talk. I sit close to the front in meetings and locate my seat closest to those with quiet voices. This helps a little but I can't sit close to everyone.
My hearing loss has become such a problem that I finally decided that I would get some type of hearing aid.
There are many types of hearing aids and numerous companies that manufacture and sell them. They are quite expensive as well! A good pair of hearing aids can easily cost over $5000. The prices can get much higher, especially if you add channels, and extras such as remote controls.
When I first put my new hearing aids in place I was amazed at the sounds that I could hear again. I had nearly forgotten them. It reminded me of the day I got my first pair of eye glasses. I realized that the green part of trees were made up of individual leaves and that there was cement between the bricks on the wall. There weren't two moons in the sky and I could read the words on traffic signs even at night.
That is how it was when I tried on my hearing aids. It was almost as though I could hear through the office walls. I could hear conversations across the room between people who weren't even facing my direction. I could hear consonants as well as vowels, which I had missed for so many years. It is a great blessing to be able to hear again and I am grateful for those who have made this miracle possible in my life, including engineers, doctors and audiologists, insurance companies and my employer who provides my job with health insurance so that I could afford to hear once more.
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