For years I would pass my hearing test and it used to upset me because I'd pass it but knew there was a problem. Last yr I flunked in my one ear and the other has started. We hear different sounds at different parts in our ears. For yrs if there was any other noises going around me (like in a tv program, lots of distracting noises along with those talking) I had a hard time hearing. Then a few years ago I noticed that I had a hard time no matter what. I know lots of people who refuse to get a hearing aide and even the doctor was surprised when I told him ok, when he said I needed a hearing aide. He said they normally don't get that response. My way of thinking between those that I love and people I work with I wanted to hear what they said. More important, my grandkids stay with me and if one was upstairs sleeping and woke up I couldn't hear them; that wasn't good. Probably by next yr I'll be getting a hearing aid in the other ear because even though my biggest loss in that ear is on levels most don't use I'm also having it happen on the level where people speak. Bottom line is that since there are so many levels we hear on different things can affect us. My current aide had to be one that fit on the outside of my ear since I have a whole in my ear drum. It had been fixed once but when it happened again I had started having lots of problems with allergies so they left it open because it acted as a release valve for pressure. It worked for that but it also is the reason why its worse than the other ear. I have different levels/settings on mine one is to address if I'm setting in a crowed place and want to concentrate on the person in front of me. I'm so happy that I got it and by next yr I'll be ready for the second one. I look at it this way, people of all ages wear glasses and think nothing of it. My hearing loss isn't about me getting older, its just something else that God has decided was for me. I'm ok with that because when I look around the world and even in my own family, I could have so many things that are so much worse. Get a hearing aide test and see what they have to say.