Ears Stopped Up on Arrival in Brussels : Hearing Aids Bother Reagan at NATO Summit

If the Great Communicator does not get the message at the NATO summit, blame high technology.

President Reagan, who wears state-of-the-art hearing aids in both ears, had problems understanding British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher as they chatted during an official photo session at the start of the two-day North Atlantic Treaty Organization meeting today.

As Thatcher and NATO Secretary General Lord Carrington shielded the 77-year-old President from probing cameras, Reagan touched his right ear and pulled a credit card-sized remote tuner from his jacket pocket.

He appeared to adjust the controls, then shook it lightly next to his ear before placing it back in his pocket.

He patted his earlobe to ensure that everything was in order before buttoning up his jacket and standing back, smiling, to complete the line of 16 Western leaders.

In recent times, Reagan, the United States’ oldest President, has appeared ill-at-ease at news conferences as he struggled to hear questions clearly.

He has been fitted with new, miniaturized hearing aids in the last few weeks.

Reagan’s doctors said he was suffering from a slight cold when he arrived in Brussels on Tuesday night and that he told Secretary of State George P. Shultz as he stepped off Air Force One: “My ears are still stopped up.”

Reagan’s hearing problems stem from his time as an actor in the 1950s when a blank pistol was fired too close to his head.

The President earned the nickname the Great Communicator for his smooth television performances and his wisecracking expertise in public relations.