AS Owners with hearing loss?

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by A W Warn

I've got tinnitus both ears, in stereo like crickets, high pitch whine, and hissing air all the time.
I also have hearing loss that is in the same range as my wife's voice. (She says it's selective hearing) I'm getting by without aids, but it want be long....

My military MOS was artillery 13B, on 155 Howitzer self propelled. 5 years around cannons for training purposes (no war duty) and 45 year career in heavy construction didn't help.

As men get older they lose hearing in the higher ranges. As women get older their voices get higher in pitch. I think it's kind of a defense mechanism that is built into the human race.

Before I got mine I asked a friend if hearing aids helps with tinnitus. He replied that it helps you hear better so you don't focus so much on the tinnitus. I have a high pitched whine that I hear all the time (no, not the wife). I first noticed it when I was 14. It's pretty loud now, hard to ignore. The hearing aids help me hear other sounds and the tinnitus is not so noticeable unless it's really quiet. I can hear everyone a lot better now, except the wife. She's a low talker so I can hear her, just can't understand what she says.

[Tall Grass]

I'm deaf. As in Very Deaf. Likewise my wife. We are ASL signers. We both use HAs, we both have a small amount of residual hearing, but because of the degree of loss, we use pen and paper to communicate with non-signers who are unaware of how to speak to a deaf person. We do just fine, for the most part, but once in a while we run into a jerk.
If y'all run into us, don't be afraid to come up and say "hi". Communication might be a bit more work, but we always enjoy meeting new people.

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Tall Grass

I'm deaf. As in Very Deaf. Likewise my wife. We are ASL signers. We both use HAs, we both have a small amount of residual hearing, but because of the degree of loss, we use pen and paper to communicate with non-signers who are unaware of how to speak to a deaf person. We do just fine, for the most part, but once in a while we run into a jerk.
If y'all run into us, don't be afraid to come up and say "hi". Communication might be a bit more work, but we always enjoy meeting new people.

Hi, Tall Grass. Hello and greetings from central Kentucky. Glad you stumbled onto the forum. Schools should offer ASL as another option for language. I'd be happy to sit a spell with you folks. Hope you aren't a stranger here. Bring all your technical questions and AS problems, we love to armchair analyze them and offer solutions.

[Josephine517]

Hi, I’ve started losing my hearing in my early 30s it slowly and steadily progressed until I’m where I’m at now with severe to profound hearing loss. I wear hearing aids which are a huge help but don’t restore my hearing to normal. Conversations are difficult particularly in noise environments or when more than one person is talking. The only issue I’ve come across camping with hearing loss is one day while I was turning on the propane tanks my wife was standing next to me and said do you hear that hissing. I said no where is it coming from. She said the tanks. It was about then I smelled propane. If she wasn’t there I would of walked away without noticing. I found a small crack in the regulator and replaced it. I like to think that after a day of camping I would of smelled the propane and fixed the problem.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by Tall Grass

I'm deaf. As in Very Deaf. Likewise my wife. We are ASL signers. We both use HAs, we both have a small amount of residual hearing, but because of the degree of loss, we use pen and paper to communicate with non-signers who are unaware of how to speak to a deaf person. We do just fine, for the most part, but once in a while we run into a jerk.
If y'all run into us, don't be afraid to come up and say "hi". Communication might be a bit more work, but we always enjoy meeting new people.

That’s what I’m looking for! Deaf camp out! My n wife are deaf signers! I am trying to set up a big deaf camp out somewhere.

[Tall Grass]

Josephine517, the inability to hear things like that can be scary. I've had quite a few close calls because of that. I once stood near a rattlesnake, totally unaware that it was all coiled up and buzzing like mad. Fortunately, I was just a bit too far away to be struck. I still jumped ten feet, maybe twenty, once I saw the snake.



Halford1, start small, let word get out. I'm told there are a couple of Deaf RV clubs in SoCal, there might be an airstream owner there.

[mojo]

Originally Posted by Halford1

That’s what I’m looking for! Deaf camp out! My n wife are deaf signers! I am trying to set up a big deaf camp out somewhere.

Ahhh.... should of said so in your first post.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by mojo

Ahhh.... should of said so in your first post.

True, true... I wasn't sure if there are any AS signers... now I know.

[Bill M.]

My hearing aids are a way of life now. I really like the new ones that couple to the phone. Have not tried the TV coupler yet. I am used to the CC. Cannot believe the costs of owning and maintaining hearing aids. But no real choice in the matter either.

[mojo]

Originally Posted by Halford1

True, true... I wasn't sure if there are any AS signers... now I know.

I am amazed watching signers...don't know if I would ever be able to pick up this skill at this stage of life. I have one good ear but still have to lip read along with what I am able to hear in a crowd.

Well hope you find a few others to meet up with.

[Acheron2010]

Originally Posted by richw46

For anyone who is a veteran, if the hearing loss can be attributed to your military service the VA will provide you with hearing aids, repairs, batteries and sundry HA supplies. If lost or damaged they will replace them one time and one time only. If you are a veteran I urge you to make an appointment with your local VA hospital. Mine are quite good and really help with my tinnitus and hearing loss.

This frosts my butt. I spent 10 years in sub enginerooms, right between the turbines. I have diagnosed hearing loss, attempted to see the VA about it, and was told I did not qualify because my annual income is over $25,000.

[Tall Grass]

Originally Posted by mojo

I am amazed watching signers...don't know if I would ever be able to pick up this skill at this stage of life. I have one good ear but still have to lip read along with what I am able to hear in a crowd.

Well hope you find a few others to meet up with.

I didn't grow up as a signer, and native signers, like my wife, can tell. ASL was literally a second language. lol


Even if you never learn but a few signs, it can be very useful to at least know how to fingerspell. I won't speak for anybody else, but I'm thrilled when a stranger fingerspells "hi"

[Rich W]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

This frosts my butt. I spent 10 years in sub enginerooms, right between the turbines. I have diagnosed hearing loss, attempted to see the VA about it, and was told I did not qualify because my annual income is over $25,000.

When was the last time you went to the VA about it? My income is over $25K but they never asked me about it. It used to be you had to have a service related loss but I don't think that's true anymore. They did ask me about that and I told them I worked around tanks in Germany and helicopters in Vietnam. They fitted me for the hearing aids and USB device. I think you should go back to the VA.

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

This frosts my butt. I spent 10 years in sub enginerooms, right between the turbines. I have diagnosed hearing loss, attempted to see the VA about it, and was told I did not qualify because my annual income is over $25,000.

This is there rules but not hard and fast rules, as I make 2 times amt for 2 people. I pick up my HA Nov. 28 only cost $50 for exam $50 when pick up appointment no copay. There are several friends w/ more income than VA states, all got HA free & no copay for excess income I quoted. My hearing loss was work related still will receive at no cost for them. I was told same thing about income do not qualify went dif. facility no prob. Before test started tester said VA doesn't provide Ha only test, after test said no chge for them.Dif. workers dif. interprations of rules. Also there are several levels of income for copays, but once you get card, IMO rules for HA change as to free no copay

[featherbedder]

Originally Posted by featherbedder

This is there rules but not hard and fast rules, as I make 2 times amt for 2 people. I pick up my HA Nov. 28 only cost $50 for exam $50 when pick up appointment no copay. There are several friends w/ more income than VA states, all got HA free & no copay for excess income I quoted. My hearing loss was work related still will receive at no cost for them. I was told same thing about income do not qualify went dif. facility no prob. Before test started tester said VA doesn't provide Ha only test, after test said no chge for them.Dif. workers dif. interprations of rules. Also there are several levels of income for copays, but once you get card, IMO rules for HA change as to free no copay

Correction Nov. 25 not Nov. 28.

[Rich W]

It may have been the tinnitus or that I was having difficulty in hearing on the phone that permitted me to have the HA. I was working from home and needed to be on the phone a good portion of the day, hence the USB device connecting my HA and phone. The doctor didn't really tell me, he just ordered the devices (after the test) and now I have them. It must really just boil down to the doctor doing the exam. I know there wasn't a discussion about my income, but when I filled out the application for VA benefits a couple of years before the HA where it asked what I was making. I'm sure that even then I was over the $25K amount.

https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/...chap01.asp#top

VA medical services include diagnostic audiology and diagnostic and preventive eye care services. VA will provide hearing aids and eyeglasses to the following Veterans:

• Those with any compensable service-connected disability.
• Those who are former Prisoners of War (POWs).
• Those who were awarded a Purple Heart.
• Those in receipt of benefits under Title 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1151.
• Those in receipt of an increased pension based on being rated permanently housebound or in need of regular aid and attendance.
• Those with vision or hearing impairment resulting from diseases or the existence of another medical condition for which the Veteran is receiving care or services from VHA, or which resulted from treatment of that medical condition, e.g., stroke, polytrauma, traumatic brain injury, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, vascular disease, geriatric chronic illnesses, toxicity from drugs, ocular photosensitivity from drugs, cataract surgery, and/or other surgeries performed on the eye, ear, or brain resulting in vision or hearing impairment.
• Those with significant functional or cognitive impairment evidenced by deficiencies in the ability to perform activities of daily living. but not including normally occurring visual or hearing impairments. Note: Veterans with normally occurring visual and/or hearing impairments that interfere with their medical care are eligible for eyeglasses and hearing aids.
• Those who have vision or hearing impairment or combined visual and hearing impairments severe enough that it interferes with their ability to participate actively in their own medical treatment. Note: The term “severe” is to be interpreted as a vision and/or hearing loss that interferes with or restricts access to, involvement in, or active participation in health care services (e.g., communication or reading medication labels). The term is not to be interpreted to mean that a severe hearing or vision loss must exist to be eligible for hearing aids or eyeglasses.
• Veterans who have a service-connected hearing disabilitiy that contributes to a loss of communication ability. However, hearing aids are to be provided only as needed for the service-connected hearing disability. Nonservice-connected (NSC) Veterans are eligible for hearing aids or eyeglasses on the basis of medical need. All such Veterans (including Medal of Honor recipients who do not have entitling conditions or circumstances and catastrophically disabled Veterans) must receive a hearing evaluation by a state-licensed audiologist prior to determining eligibility for hearing aids or an appropriate evaluation by an optometrist or ophthalmologist prior to determining eligibility for eyeglasses to establish medical justification for provision of these devices. These Veterans must meet the following criteria for eligibility based on medical need:
  • Be enrolled at VA medical facility where they receive their health care; and
  • Have hearing or vision loss that interferes with or restricts communication to the extent that it affects their active participation in the provision of health care services as determined by an audiologist or an eye care practitioner or provider.

[Halford1]

Originally Posted by Tall Grass

I didn't grow up as a signer, and native signers, like my wife, can tell. ASL was literally a second language. lol


Even if you never learn but a few signs, it can be very useful to at least know how to fingerspell. I won't speak for anybody else, but I'm thrilled when a stranger fingerspells "hi"

Same here... English was my first language then ASL when I was 13 years old. I became deaf at age of 2 from medicine treated for Spinal Meningitis. I did mostly lipreading but I wish the school use Sign Language instead of me lipreading. When I went to a deaf school, I learned more because of sign language.

It is good to use both ASL and English since that ASL is NOT a written language.

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Acheron2010

This frosts my butt. I spent 10 years in sub enginerooms, right between the turbines. I have diagnosed hearing loss, attempted to see the VA about it, and was told I did not qualify because my annual income is over $25,000.

You have been misinformed. Income limits do not apply if the damage is service connected and the hearing loss results in a disability rating of over 10%. I had profound hearing loss in one ear, moderate loss in the other and tinnitus in both and received a 10% rating. I thought it should have been higher, but chose not to fight it.

Go to the VA website and find a local VA Service Officer. Mine was in the county government offices, a free service provided in my case by an American Legion volunteer. They will help and advise you through the process of getting your loss service connected. It took me nine months, but once I got service connected I had a hearing aids in about three weeks.

You must get the service connected adjudication first or the VA clinic won't help you. Further, once you are service connected, you are raised to priority 2 for all VA health care only behind total disability veterans and, as I understand it, no income limits. My audiologist said that severe hearing loss in one ear is often the sign of a brain tumor. Even though I explained the circumstances of my injury virtually eliminated that possibility I was scheduled for, and received an MRI at no cost.

Al

[Al and Missy]

Originally Posted by Al and Missy

You have been misinformed. Income limits do not apply if the damage is service connected and the hearing loss results in a disability rating of over 10%......
Al

I should have said 10% or higher. 10% gets you past the income limits. I didn’t have to give them any income data since I was compensable service connected.

Al

[SSquared]

I'm not deaf, but I do have and benefit from hearing aids. I have Oticon Opn 1 miniRITEs and a ConnectClip.


If you are interested in an online community to talk about hearing aids, I can recommend https://forum.hearingtracker.com/.