I've recently begun to experience deterioration in my hearing, and it's nothing I ever expected. Instead of the world becoming more silent, it's getting *noisier* and it is getting more and more difficult to hear and understand what people are saying. I can't hear speech above the ambient background sounds.

A simple/conventional hearing aid that simply amplifies all sounds would be no help at all for this syndrome -- in fact, it would make it worse. I have a friend who has had very poor hearing all his life who is now developing this same problem, and he has been prescribed a new and improved hearing aid. The list price is tremendously expensive, but he got some kind of disability subsidy and was asble to afford it.

I suppose this is one of the many deteriorations that comes with "middle" age. (At 55, m hardly elederly -- but than again, I don't really expect to make it to 110, so I'm past the middle of my years, right?)

Hearing music is no problem -- yet, anyway -- it's hearing conversation at the same time as music that is beyond my capability. (Maybe that's a good thing!)