Frustration of being deaf.

Earache1

Hello all,

I wonder if I am the only one with this problem? Let me explain. For many years I have been stone deaf in my left ear, a condition called otosclerosis. I wore hearing aids for a long time, but I found it increasingly difficult to actually fit the in my ear. Because I have osteoporosis, and osteoarthritis in most of my body, but in particular my hands. Whilst I can move them enough to do normal household chores, I can no longer do anything that involves close, fiddly work like sewing, painting, putting on my nail varnish! And of course getting my hearing aids in place. I can hardly pick them up, let alone fix them in my ear. So, I simply don’t wear them and just say pardon a lot!

I’ve tried talking to audiologists but no one has an answer, apart from one cheeky chap who suggested I buy an ear trumpet!

Thank you for reading this, if anyone has a magic answer, please let me know.

Liz

PeterJ

Hello @Earache1 and welcome to the community. We are a friendly and supportive group and I hope you find that as well.

I understand that you have osteoarthritis in your hands and are finding it difficult to do small fiddly tasks. I fully understand that - I also have osteoarthritis in my hands. As regards your hearing aids, could you get someone to attach them to a headband or something similar? Not sure if it would work but might be worth a try as easier to put a headband on. In the meantime our website contains a lot of useful information and I would suggest having a look around and also we have a Helpline team who may be able to help you. To help I've pasted a couple of links in below which might be of interest.

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/osteoarthritis-of-the-hand-and-wrist/

https://www.versusarthritis.org/about-arthritis/conditions/hand-and-wrist-pain/

and the Helpline is

https://www.versusarthritis.org/get-help/

Please do keep posting and let us know how you are getting on, and I hope that others might be able to offer help and support as well

With very best wishes

Peter