I recently got hearing aids.  Yes, while in my 30’s I have been diagnosed with a hearing loss and now must wear hearing aids as a result of irreversible nerve damage.  It was a creeping problem for the most part.  I had to set the volume higher, ask people to repeat, strain to try to keep up with conversations in certain situations, and now live with a constant ringing in my ears.  Apparently I was the last to admit to myself there was an issue.  I am glad I did something about it, because I was living in a state of stress and missing out on life in some respects.   Having had a few days to adjust to the tiny buds in my ears, I am now aware of new sounds around me, and it certainly has made things interesting.  The hum of the a/c, the copier rolling to life, the click clack of shoes on the hardwood floor, yes, those sounds seem like nothing, but for the first time in a long time I really notice them.   I am not straining as much in conversations, and I am enjoying that I don’t focus on the ringing in my ears as much.  It wasn’t a huge change in my life, but one that I think will be positive and beneficial in the long run.

K