How much do over-the-counter hearing aids cost — $99 or $1,995? Are they for you? And how well do they work?= Over-the-Counter hearing aids were approved in 2022, but many buyers are still confused. So was I. That's why I'm sharing what I found out. The market for hearing aids is huge, and navigating the … Continue reading OTC Hearing Aids: A Primer
Author: Katherine Bouton
Captions and Election Night.
Whatever you thought of the outcome on Election Night, it was not hearing friendly. The networks, CNN, and even PBS were a visual and aural assault. Screens filled with live action, banners running every which way, maps flipping like shuffled cards, not to mention hyperactive correspondents and panelists talking at warp speed. Captions had a … Continue reading Captions and Election Night.
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I Can Live With This.
For most of us, there are a lot of bumps in the road to acceptance of our hearing loss. Halloween marks the anniversary of the day my hearing finally bottomed out, taking with it my spirit and my resilience. I had been living with hearing loss ever since my left ear stopped working, seemingly overnight, … Continue reading I Can Live With This.
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Apple’s New Hearing Aid
Is the Apple OTC hearing aid right for you? Probably not, if your hearing loss is significant. But they may well benefit all of us with hearing loss in the long run. Apple’s announcement in September that the FDA had approved its over-the-counter hearing aid was a big step towards getting hearing assistance to the … Continue reading Apple’s New Hearing Aid
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Sleeping with Dogs
When my dog was a puppy he slept in a crate, then he moved to a chair, then onto the bed. My husband would pick him up like a little lamb, when he came to bed after me, and move the dog back to the chair. After my husband died, Oliver moved permanently to the … Continue reading Sleeping with Dogs
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Unheard Melodies
The death earlier this summer of British baritone Ben Luxon reminded me once again how subjective our response to hearing loss is. Luxon was one of several musicians I wrote about in “Shouting Won’t Help.” A world-famous artist, he began to lose his hearing in the late 1980’s; by the mid-1990’s he was forced to … Continue reading Unheard Melodies
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Do Your Hearing Aids Sweat?
No, only mammals sweat. But over the course of this hot and humid summer, I’ve felt like my hearing devices are definitely damp. That's because the ear sweats. Sweat encourages wax, or cerumen. Photo by Ketut Subiyanto on Pexels.com If you’re very hard of hearing, like me, your hearing aid may have a custom-made ear … Continue reading Do Your Hearing Aids Sweat?
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Hearing Loss and Henry James
It’s not often that you encounter in a novel a secondary character who has hearing loss, and whose hearing loss is incidental to her role in the story. In Colm Toibin’s brilliant 2004 novel “The Master,” about Henry James, he writes from James’ perspective about Henry's deep friendship with the American writer Constance Fenimore Woolson, … Continue reading Hearing Loss and Henry James
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Talking About Hearing Loss — in Phoenix
I’m just back from the annual HLAA convention. This one was in Phoenix, where the average temperature at this time of year is 107 degrees. That’s average! I thought I’d skip this one, which was my 13th. Not only is Phoenix hot but it’s a long flight, 5 and a half hours nonstop from New … Continue reading Talking About Hearing Loss — in Phoenix
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Advocating for an Invisible Disability
This post is adapted from my acceptance speech for the Ruth Green Advocacy Award given by the Center for Hearing and Communication. To read more about CHC go to chchearing.org. To hear more about The New York City Chapter of the Hearing Loss Association of America, of which I'm the president, go to hearinglossnyc.org. My … Continue reading Advocating for an Invisible Disability
Katherine Bouton: Smart Hearing 