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The Miracle of Moving on from Loss
Loss comes in many different forms but almost always leaves us with a void. Whether losing a loved one, a job, or even a precious keepsake, there can be a sense of grief, knowing that we can never get back what we have lost. Hearing loss can be devastating, quite understandably. Many people go through common stages of grief when their hearing is diminished. This can include denial, isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance.
Technology, however, has become so advanced in the way of hearing restoration that we no longer have to accept this as something forever gone or an embarrassment related to age that must be hidden. Old stigmas about hearing loss can be done away with, considering that today’s hearing devices don’t come with the frustrations of the past.
Efforts to Get Back What was Lost
Loss of hearing is a serious health issue, and it’s one that people in science and medicine have been addressing for thousands of years. A book published in 1588 made reference to a primitive form of hearing aid. Trumpets were widely used to assist in hearing in the 1600s and 1700s. Improvements came along with the discovery of “bone conduction.” Sound vibrations were transmitted through the skull to the brain.
Efforts to conceal hearing aids began in the 1800s. Strategies included integrating the equipment in clothing, beards, and hair styles. Members of royalty were able to take advantage of an ingenious system. Tubes were hidden in the arm rests of their thrones, and voices were channeled, echoed, and amplified through the tube and emerged near the head of the monarch.
Loss of One of the Five Senses Restored? Eh…
Finally, in the 1930’s, the first wearable hearing aids were created. They only helped some types of hearing loss and were not accessible to most consumers, however, leaving most of the vast population suffering from hearing loss in silence. Advancements in technology have continued to be made, but loss of hearing has been an extremely difficult problem to solve. Even in the last 50 years, there have still been major issues with hearing aid devices and even a stigma associated with wearing them.
Perhaps it’s simply human nature that the continuously improving benefit of hearing aids has often been rejected for three primary reasons: Alteration in self-perception, ageism, and vanity. It’s like having the restoration of good health within your grasp and choosing to unnecessarily limp through life.
Great News for Formerly Deaf Ears
The good fortune for millions who suffer from hearing loss today is that these human factors and stigmas have largely been addressed. Hearing aids available today provide a more natural hearing experience than ever and can be incredibly discreet.
Much like our smart phones and tablets, hearing aids are considered “smart” and can be fine-tuned to adapt to different listening environments without any adjustments needed from the wearer. Some aids can even stay in the wearer’s ears for weeks at a time. The newest technology in hearing aids can be described as mini super-computers, weighing less than two grams. They have been programmed to simulate a series of complex and delicate body parts and even benefit the mood and health of the wearer.
Hearing aid technology is so cutting edge today that we can now look upon hearing loss with hope and confidence that a satisfying solution is likely available. Also, it is a very treatable problem that does not define us. The time has arrived to think of hearing restoration through the use of advance-technology hearing devices as a bona-fide miracle.
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