Hear ye, hear ye

I have had hearing loss in both ears since I was about 7 or 8 years old. Ear infections and "glue ear" was common for me. I also had the mumps. I had surgeries to try to correct perforated eardrums, but was not successful. I wore an ITE hearing aid when I was a young adult. It was not suitable as it caused itchiness and I had constant "wet ear". My hearing continued to deteriorate. I developed seasonal allergies and would often get fluid in the ear. At age 48, I had surgery for a BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid). This has been a major change in quality of life for me. Surgery of a titanium implant (was inserted) in my skull behind the Right ear. A 3 month wait for the implant to osseointegrate with the bone cells was needed, then I was fitted with a processor. The hearing is amplified by way of "bone conduction"; there is no in-the-ear prosthetic. I snap the processor on to the implant, turn it on and can hear so, so much better. I love the sound of the birds, which I could barely hear before. I don't miss people getting annoyed with me because of my hearing loss; though they treat people with vision problems in a much nicer manner. Your ENT can tell you if you are a good candidate for a bone conduction hearing aid/processor.

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