[an_d_rew]

Hearing loss is one of the very few proven and CAUSAL mechanisms behind cognitive degeneration as we age.

They even know the mechanism: the slow imperceptible year by year withdrawal from rich communication patterns with our environment.

I found that it took me a little while not to feel "old" when I discovered that I needed hearing aids.

But my oh my what a difference.

It's difficult to describe to someone what it's like and how much less cognitive energy you have to put into even simple things like discussing lunch with your wife!

[washadjeffmad]

Because my voice is deep and I'm soft spoken, I've always been told people could feel my voice before they heard it, and a lot of noise cancellation models have a hard time distinguishing me from environmental sound and suppress my speech.

It's weirdly isolating not being able to communicate in certain meeting software or on some phones because a computer thinks I'm the machine.