Might never hear the frogs again

I've been around farm machinery for 60 of my 71 years and I know my hearing is going south a bit. This spring on three different occasions, someone I'm with has said "listen to those frogs" and I hear no frogs! I know when you get old your memory is the second thing to go; I forget the first. Could it be your hearing? Hope the frogs are just getting softer.

I think you are too young not to be able to hear the frogs, unless your hearing is damaged somehow. Your also too young for #1. One of my favorite sounds, starting in February I listen for them every evening...peepers. The solution is simple. Just take an evening stroll on a nice Spring evening down by the pond. You will hear them.

Its ironic you mention this. I got hearing aids last summer and a couple days ago I heard frogs in a puddle in the road ditch as I was driving by. When I heard them my first thought was ''I didn't know that puddle had frogs". Then I realized they have always been there. This is the first time I've HEARD them.

That is what ear plugs and or ear muffs are for. Every time I see young kids with loud tractors or shooting or near big equipment I just want to screem at them. They have no idea how slowly your hearing can be destroyed! Just as you said, two of the neighbors can't hear that soft sound stuff and they STILL will not wear protection!!!!!!

I'm only 47 and my hearing is not near as good as it used to be. Between loud amplifiers and working in a server room for too many years, I can't hear like I used to. Strangely enough I have been shooting all my life and always wear earmuffs so at least I know that's not the cause of it.

Fixerupper, I will soon be helping my 88 yo Mom get fitted with hearing aids. Any advise as to what to do or
not to do?

Sure hoping this will accomplish more than just restoring her hearing. She has antisocial tendencies, likes
to isolate. The hearing problems seem to have greatly aggravated this, and her inability to participate in
normal conversation, blasting volume on the TV... Hearing problems are more than just an inconvenience, can
be a real challenge to others too!

I guess all the crickets must have died off, haven't heard one in years.

Yeah, but deafness has it's advantages. I hear people complaining about loud noise all the time. Loud noises never bother me. As far as the frogs, What do we want to hear them 4?

The ringing in my ears sounds like crickets so I hear them all the time. I have a hard time hearing the real thing. We didn't know about hearing protection back then. Worked logging and in my dads mill. Old chainsaws were loud but his mill was very loud, UD18 power unit and a 12' sawdust blower for main saw and edger really howled. You couldn't hear someone yelling over the noise so we had hand signals.

Also farmers and truck drivers are less able to hear on the left side then the right simply because that's the side against the exhaust pipe. I also noticed certain pitch ranges are more difficult. Remember the day when you didn't want to be called a sissy for wearing ear protection

As I sit hear this morning and read your your post those "crickets" sure are loud.........

I bought a high dollar set of hearing aids almost two years ago & love them. I used to think I would be embarrassed about wearing them. But they are hardly noticeable. The first thing I noticed was when I drove out of the parking lot I flipped on my turn signal. It had been so long since I heard a turn signal blink that I forgot that they made noise. The second thing I noticed was when I walked in the house I flipped on the light switch. I forgot the switch makes noise when you flip them off or on.

About 3-1/2 years ago, I got a bad ear infection and lost about 1/2 of the hearing in my right ear. When the hearing tester told me what he called bad news, I asked why he said this is the bad news. When we go somewhere, my wife sits on my right and her mother is in the back seat, also on my right. Bad news? Maybe it is just selective hearing loss. Works for me. When I go deer hunting (archery), I can still hear leaves rustling from a deer, squirrel or chipmunk. During gun season, I have been using ear muffs with the microphones and loud noise canceling for many years.

Steve I really don't know much about hearing aid selection but I can relate to you a few things the hearing aid wearer experiences.

Mine are middle of the road $2500 ea. Audibels that fit behind the ears. My step mom has Belltones that look exactly like mine only different color. They do make sounds sound a little different, somewhat like listening to a PA system but you get used to it. If you can convince her to put them in and leave them in all day there's a probable chance she will get used to them and like them. My hearing loss is flat line, and easy to amplify. Her needs might be different. If possible do not go cheap. Dad got cheap ones and put them away in a drawer after only a few days of wearing them. Sharp loud noises made him jump out of his seat. Any electronics that amplify sounds tend to over amplify sharp sounds and hearing aids will do that. My aids tend to over amplify the sound of setting down a coffee cup or the crinkling of paper. I don't know if more expensive aids buffer those sharp sounds or not. Background noises are amplified too and my aids pick up noises behind me a little better than noises that are ahead of me. Sitting at a meeting, that person five rows back who is shuffling paper can be loud enough to interfere with being able to hear the speaker. My hearing aid man told me any hearing aid sales person who claims to be able to block out background noise is lying. To sum it up hearing aids do help but it's up to the wearer to get used to the different minor annoyances. Jim

Right on crickets. I lay in bed one evening a few years ago listening to the cicadas chirping outside. It was when it dawned on me that it was February I understood I might have hearing issues. gm

I can still hear frogs, but haven't heard a cricket for over 40 years. Certain high frequency sounds escape me, including many of the birds. My wife always says "listen to the birds in that tree" - but I don't hear them at all. I'm better at hearing low bass sounds.

Thanks Jim, that's about what I thought on the price range. Thanks for the reply!

wolfman,
I hate it when conversation gets to be mumbling,what I like to call incessant babbling. After 4 yrs listening to jet aircraft (no hearing protection) I held a run up and taxi license as a line mechanic for Air Force, uncle Sam. Then about 22 yrs of school bus driving, whine of the heaters and the little kids screaming and yelling took its toll. I got my new set of hearing aides all adjustable volume (remote control ) and tone control. Uncle Sam came forth with these wonderful hearing aides, if your a vet, it would pay to look into it, especially if you've been around machinery or any high pitched noises for an extended time. Also the vets took the problem of loss of sight so I now have (after surgery) better vision cause that issue has been solved by 100%.I would warmly suggest checking out your hearing problem,and wish you great success in getting it resolved. From one who knows,
LOU

I don't hear frog, spring peepers, crickets, some birds, but I have this nice noise in my head all the time so never lonely for 60 years now. Strange thing is that due to me not hearing high frequency, I often hear the low frequency that others don't due to them hearing the higher ones. Case in point. Kids gave the wife a toy bird that sang when you moved it . Well, I could not hear a thing, but, by holding it up to my ear I could hear the thumping of the mechanism inside where no one else could. They hear the tweeting.