[upbeat music]
Male narrator: This is the timeless story of hearing loss.
Russell Henderson: I got to the place where I would say, "Well, what did you say?"
Laura Waterman Wittstock: I began to feel self-conscious, and I would be in meetings, and I could not hear.
Christine Morgan: My first hearing aids-- I used to do like this with my hair and make sure I hid them.
Rick Polski: You know, I never noticed it till I was told I should go in and get it checked.
Audiologist: How are you doing today?
Katherine Bouton: I think that for a lot of people, it’s a combination of not wanting to acknowledge hearing loss but also genuinely not really being aware of how much their hearing is declining.
Dr. Frank R. Lin: It’s easy to blow off and say, "Well, I hear what I want to hear." But that’s what hearing loss is, -- is that you can’t hear clearly, not so much you can’t hear.
Audiologist: And it’s what we call the custom hearing aids...
Katherine: I think we’re finally getting past the stigma that hearing loss is a condition of aging. It’s a medical condition. Treating it is actually good for your physical and your mental health.
Rick: Hearing is definitely the key for my survival.
Dr. Lin: Your ability to communicate with your friends, family members, loved ones, I mean, that’s all predicated on being able to hear someone and communicate effectively. -- And that’s what, fundamentally, hearing gets to.
Rick: You know, that one bird you hear now, I can hear that loud and clear.
[laughing]
Kathleen Marin: I would definitely say it’s really important to get treatment, and it’s better for everybody.
Laura: [laughing] Why did I wait so long? I have no idea.
