Hi!

I have a mild/moderate hearing loss, not that bad in general but
there are situations where I really feel the loss and I'd invest in
hearing aids if it could help. So I'm looking for advice from people
who have hearing aids and can tell me how much it helps or not.

My problems are biggest in quiet, hushed conversations, or in dark
places where I lack visual cues (think sleepovers, dim restaurants).
At other times I think my hearing is close enough to normal that aids
probably wouldn't make such a big difference, but it would probably
be worth wearing them anyway if I had them.

The big issue is this: my ears are very sensitive. I am sensory-
defensive in general (it's a subcategory of sensory integration
disorder) and lots of noises annoy me. I'm afraid that even the most
sophisticated programmed aids would amplify things like ticking
clocks, buzzing electricity, etc., and drive me crazy.

Also, if it would amplify the background noises as well, will it
really help me hear better or will it be more of a pain?

Help! I don't know what to do! Is it worth pouring half of my year's
pay into this? (I work part-time while in college) One reason why I'm
considering this now is also because I hope to get married sometime
soon and I'm afraid to enter an intimate relationship with this
problem. I live at home now, and I sometimes have arguments with my
parents (aging and probably also losing their hearing somewhat)
because of misunderstandings, often because someone didn't hear
correctly. Is this a normal part of life that one just needs to
patiently deal with, or is it something that I should invest in
hearing aids to correct?