Mine falls off from 1k. Whilst that is pretty damn bad for a once audiophile, there is still a whole heap of world that I can hear without hearing aids. And a whole heap of music. Talking to me, without the aids, is hard work.
Sure, there are a lot of people who are really deaf. But knowing that doesn't help, other than causing me to fear the future.
... of course, I sympathise, especially with music lovers.
I read a novel: Deaf Sentence, David Lodge. Comic in places, tragic in places, good for anyone who wants to know what HF hearing loss is about. The embarrassing, as well as the inconvenience.
...He makes a good point about deafness as a disability in general. Paraphrased: the blind get sympathy, the deaf get ridicule. Deafness is considered annoying, a nuisance. "Get hearing aids!" Actually, just speak a little slower, clearer, and facing the person you're talking to and they don't need to. Try telling people that. (start with my wife please).
...I am not talking about those who are in denial about deafness, who damn well should get professional help, and yes, aids if necessary. For everybody's sake, starting with themselves.
My father's case is likely mostly due to the streptomycin given him when hospitalized with pleurisy in 1969-70. The measurements are from 2021 (at age 98), but he was pretty bad even back in the 70s & 80s, behaving much as you describe immediately above :) His latest hearing aid, though (L only - there's obviously no help for R), is pretty effective - and doesn't have a volume knob that he can turn down.
I remember streptomycin in childhood. There's plenty of over-loud stuff that I did to myself, but that's another thing to add to my possibles list, along with measles. Thing is I /never/ could converse over a background noise. Talk to a woman at a party? Forget it! :/.
I don't have volume controls: I just turn off.
Best wishes to your dad! I trust he's still going strong approaching 100. I'm only 70.
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