I was surprised when my supposedly “baseline” hearing assessment resulted in a recommendation for hearing assistance devices. The graph was clear that my hearing sharply declined in the higher frequencies and the audiologist explained that hearing aids would be of benefit to me because of this.
I pondered this for a while and decided to go ahead and get them. And, I decided to get the highest level I could afford as it offered more options for adjustment and AI assistance with adapting to louder environments. The reason I even went in is due to the difficulty I was having hearing people talk when we were in a car. The road noise was just at the right frequency to make the speech hard to understand.
These hearing aids are tiny. You really cannot tell I have them on. Which is, I supposed, by design. It reminded me of my progressive bifocals. (Another surprising moment was when the eye doctor told me I needed those and then the immediate change in viewing text when the prescription was presented to me in the exam room). I can clearly see (pun intended) how the bifocul lenses help me read up close. The hearing aids are taking more time to get used to and to determine if, indeed, they will make my life better as my body changes with the years passing by.
So, does tech make it easier to “avoid” showing your age. You don’t give away your hearing loss or your vision changes with these options. Pacemakers, blood sugar monitors, CPAP alternatives, and other electronic devices implanted make changes that happen as you grow older less obvious…and possibly more convenient so health improves.
I’m not afraid of my age. I want to grow old gracefully and with as much health and vigor as I can maintain. So, exercise and diet and other factors that I can control become more important. It just struck me as curious that two very common indicators of aging – bifocals and hearing aids – have become almost invisible due to technology improvements. I wonder what else will hide the years in the future.