"I have recently gained a lot of first-hand knowledge of dementia and hearing problems. About twenty years ago, when I was doing a medical exam for a job I had just got, they told me that I would want to keep a check on my hearing as I was getting older, in case it was getting worse. I forgot about this and, over the course of time, probably naturally enough, my hearing did get worse. I never thought about the impact it would have on someone who has dementia and especially someone who has Lewy Body Dementia, as I do. Around September 2023, I got my hearing checked and was surprised, as I had no idea how bad it had got until I got my hearing aids. When you get a diagnosis, like mine, of Lewy Body Dementia, a diagnosis that is both progressive and incurable, you come to terms with the fact that you are going to start to lose your faculties, bit by bit, and that’s pretty much that, but not when it comes to your hearing and sight.
The day my hearing aids were put in, I got back my full hearing and I was literally overjoyed! It was like I was after winning a major battle in my struggles with Lewy Body Dementia; little did I know the benefits that would follow! The hallucinations that I have, because of my Lewy Bodies, are less frequent. The buzzing that was in my head when I would be in a quiet room or space is completely gone, as long as my hearing aids are in. The fact that I take them out at night doesn’t mean that the effects they have on me by day stop working, quite the opposite, as although I still have bad nightmares and dreams sometimes, they are not as bad as before and, when I wake up now, I always know where I am and who I am, so the level of fear has dropped by at least 75%. During Christmas, I was able to attend family gatherings with a large group of people and I was able to have and to hear conversations.
I no longer feel as if I have to walk away from someone because I cannot hear them, I no longer have to let on that I don't know what people are saying. I don’t have to ask "can you say that again?”. The benefits are not just felt by me, but by my wife as well, who has said that her role as a spousal carer has been made so much easier. I cannot recommend enough the value of getting your hearing checked as early as possible but especially after getting a diagnosis of dementia, particularly Lewy Body Dementia. It's something I put off for years. Take my advice and do it today as I have found that it’s a game changer and the difference is as clear as the difference between night and day."
