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Ballet Star Sara Mearns Finds Her Sound With Hearing Aids
12 Apr
Summary
- Ballet dancer Sara Mearns experienced hearing loss, impacting her performances.
- She now uses hearing aids, enhancing her ability to hear music and partners.
- Mearns aims to help others overcome the embarrassment of hearing loss.
Sara Mearns, a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet, has publicly embraced hearing aids after years of undiagnosed hearing loss. She found herself missing cues and struggling to hear her dance partners, attributing the issues to a blend of factors including genetics, medical conditions, and noise exposure.
Mearns's journey to diagnosis involved realizing the extent of her hearing impairment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic when masks further obscured communication. Following expert advice, she consulted with an audiologist who helped her find suitable hearing aids.
Since wearing hearing aids, Mearns reports a profound improvement, vividly hearing the orchestra, ambient sounds, and conversations. This has significantly reduced the daily exhaustion she experienced from straining to hear. She now advocates for others to seek help for hearing loss, aiming to dispel the embarrassment she once felt.
Experts note that hearing loss is common but often undetected. Symptoms can include frequent "what?" responses, difficulty hearing in noisy places, muffled sounds, or ringing in the ears. Professional evaluation is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment, which can range from over-the-counter hearing aids to more advanced solutions like cochlear implants.
