I have been teaching history at a university in Lahore for twenty two years. Five years ago, I started noticing that students in the back row were complaining that I was speaking too softly. I was not speaking softly. I just couldn't hear my own voice properly. Then I could not hear questions from students sitting more than two rows away. Then I could not hear my colleagues in faculty meetings. I was embarrassed. I was a professor who couldn't hear. Finally, I went to a clinic that specializes in hearing aids in Lahore . That decision saved my career.

The Shame of Needing a Hearing Aid

I was fifty years old. I thought hearing aids were for old people. I thought people would think I was less capable. I was wrong. The shame I felt was my own imagination. When I finally wore my hearing aid to class, not a single student said anything. A few asked if I had a new earphone. That was it.

The audiologist at the hearing aid Lahore clinic told me that many of her patients are young professionals. Hearing loss does not have an age. It can happen from genetics, from infections, from loud noise exposure, or from unknown causes. There is no shame in fixing a problem.

What I Learned About Hearing Aids in Pakistan

There are many hearing aids in Pakistan . Some are cheap amplifiers that you can buy online. Don't buy those. They will give you a headache and you will stop wearing them. A proper hearing aid needs to be programmed for your specific hearing loss. That requires a hearing test and a trained audiologist.

The hearing aid Lahore clinic I went to do a full hearing test. They showed me a graph of my hearing. I had lost high frequency sounds. That explained why I could hear someone talking but could not understand the words. The letters S, F, and TH were missing for me. The hearing aid they gave me boosted only those high frequencies. The difference was immediate.

How Hearing Aids Changed My Teaching

Now I can hear questions from any student in the room. I can hear my colleagues in meetings. I can hear the television without the volume at maximum. I am a better teacher because I am not constantly straining to hear.

I also learned to be open about my hearing loss. At the start of every semester, I tell my students, "I wear a hearing aid. Please speak clearly and face me when you ask a question." They always cooperate. Some have even asked me questions about hearing aids for their own grandparents.

If you are avoiding hearing aids in Pakistan because of embarrassment, please stop. Your hearing is too precious to sacrifice for pride. Go to a good hearing aid Lahore clinic. Get a test. Try a device. You will be surprised how quickly you adapt. I was. And my students thank me for it.