The Right Hearing Aid...and a Whole Lot More By Virginia Olson
F
or Dawn Anderson, learning that she needed a hearing aid seemed like more bad news. The 54-yearold Bridgewater mother and former nurse had been pushing through life with MS. The disease of her central nervous system had affected her walk and balance. She was forced to quit her job because she needed a brace. A few years ago, Dawn started suffering from a form of seasonal hearing loss similar to swimmer’s ear. “My doctor told me my ‘full ear’ was ‘an allergy thing,’ ‘just some fluid,’ and to ‘give it time,’” she recalls. “Eventually, my right ear would pop, and my hearing would return.” But last summer the hearing in Dawn’s right ear did not
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return. Her balance also seemed to be impacted as she noticed her gait growing worse. “I felt my quality of life growing narrow, and I knew I had to address my hearing loss, so I sought out a specialist at Midwest ENT & Allergy. I was diagnosed with a serious hearing loss related to the hearing nerve. I would need a hearing aid.” At first, it was tough news, but once Dawn made her brand choice and was properly fitted, she says her new hearing aid has been a game changer! Dawn’s audiologist, Dr. Holly Ralston, AuD, presented Dawn with a variety of hearing aid options. Hearing aid
