A Hearing Loss Can Be Devastating For You and Others

The thought of losing one’s hearing is certainly disturbing. As kids, lots of us probably plugged our ears and walked around, trying to simulate what it would be like, but of course after just a few minutes we could take our fingers out and go along with our lives. Unfortunately, for someone who actually loses their hearing, it’s just not that simple.

People pride themselves on their senses, probably more than many realize, and we all have senses that are stronger or weaker. Many a road trip will see people comparing who can read the signs from the furthest away, or who can make out the words of a particular song. Since we were born with these abilities, it rarely occurs to us that it is possible to be without them, and when it does, we really have no frame of reference for just what it would be like to not be able to do the same things that “normal” people do. In fact, our abilities are what most people use to define normal, and losing the ability to be normal can cause an enormous hit to the self-esteem of even the most well adjusted among us.

Imagine, then, really and truly losing your hearing. At first it may seem an easy thing to picture — you just wouldn’t hear things, right? No big deal, you could still see, so there isn’t much you couldn’t do when it really came down to it.

Except listen to music. Think of your favorite type of music. Now think of it gone — forever. How often have you found comfort in the voice of a loved one? Even if they were just chatting with you, or saying “Hi” or “I love you”. Now take those sounds and put them on paper, because without hearing, that is about what those words boil down to. Concerts and movies at the theater are certainly out of the question without hearing.

Then there are the more mundane, every day concerns that you really don’t think about as being associated with hearing. Take, for example, the phone ringing, or a knock at the door. Imagine not being able to hear a summons from across the house. Consider how easily people could sneak up on you, without even trying. How many times have you been woken by a noise that, in all seriousness, really did merit your being awake?

The thought of losing one’s hearing is certainly scary, not to mention depressing.

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