Hearing aid?

[vergil96]

Okay, I want to ask you about this. I have all three types of Loops earplugs, but they don't quite work for me in classroom. My problem is that if 5 or 10 people are typing and there is an echo in the class, it's louder than the teacher even if he or she is speaking normally. I don't have any hearing loss per se. But I can't hear in noisy environments or in environments that I perceive as noisy and others not so much. I can't hear other people from more than 2 meters either.

It poisons my life honestly, so I want to ask you what has been effective for you with that kind of hearing problem. Is it even worth it to get hearing aid? Should I get different ear plugs?

I'm oversensitive to sound at the same time, perhaps that's the root of that. I wear earplugs or headphones, because for me it's often too loud.

 

[bard]

It sounds like sign language would be a better solution. A little more work, but probably more satisfying results.

 

[kriss72]

I don't know if it will help you, and I haven't tried either my self, but there are hearing aids that filter out noise that doesn't come from directly in front of you, they are meant to help people focus on the speaker they are looking at, that might be one option, the other option requires the teacher to wear a microphone that is then linked to a set of headphones/earplugs that you wear - in some systems the teacher can choose which (group of) students to address through the system, if there are multiple users of the system.

 

[vergil96]

A combination of the below has worked so far:
- I use ear plugs more frequently, they do help, but not as much as I would want them to (Vibes look less obvious at higher noise reduction that I need)
- appraoching the professors directly that I have hearing issues and asking e.g. to repeat the deadlines and requirements of assignments, ask where it's written, request other things I need
- asking peers to repeat, because I couldn't hear them on the corridor or somewhere else
- sitting closer, in the front
- it seems like my brain finds adaptations and I've become better at lip reading

I have been researching hearing aid and honestly the most helpful feature about it is noise cancellation. Hearing aids with such advanced features also very expensive, so the best option for me are ear plugs designed for that purpose or ANC headphones. The less expensive, more basic hearing aids just make the sounds louder and that isn't an issue for me that some sounds are too quiet for me to hear.

I tried to learn a few phrases in sign language regardless, there is a sports team of deaf players that a team I'm a part of is friends with. It's good to learn at least a few basic phrases to better communicate with them. I have an ease learning languages and sign language is no exception, however, I don't know if I see much use for sign language as few people know it. It's good for speeding up conversations in grocery shops and shopping malls with strangers instead of getting stuck in a frustrating loop of "excuse me, I didn't hear you, could you repeat?" for way too long. Some people seem not to understand that if someone is hard of hearing they have to speak loud and clear to be heard. But yeah, this problem seems to be solved.