There’s nothing easy about being hard of hearing—it’s hard making out anything anyone’s saying, your favourite jam isn’t as fun, and maybe walks out of doors where birdsongs and church bells were integral to the atmosphere just aren’t what they used to be.
“Hearing loss” implies having had normal hearing before, which means it can be really difficult having a point of reference or knowing what you’re missing.
But there are ways to cope, both on a practical or sensory and on an emotional level—and more importantly, there are ways you can get help.
Understanding Others
Arguably the most difficult (and often the most embarrassing) part of hearing loss is communication, which is probably one of the first things to tell you that a hearing test may be in order. But you can make conversations easier for you and the people you’re talking to by:
- Letting them know from the get-go (if this is a first conversation) that you have difficulty hearing
- Finding out what you’re going to talk about beforehand (if possible) is also a huge help
- Facing them while they talk so you can see their mouths, facial expressions, and gestures
- Listening to them from a manageable distance (say three or four feet away)
- If one ear works better than the other, try to face or angle that ear toward the speaker
- Ask them to slow down while they’re speaking, or to not cover their mouths, or talk with their mouth full (with gum, let’s say) (if you have to)
It also helps if you’re all in a well-lit room (versus having them speak to you (however loudly) from another room where you can’t at all see them.
Enjoying Music or Shows and Ambient Sounds
Turning up the volume may solve this for a while, but that may not be enough after some time. There are other ways you can hear more of what you want to (and less of what you don’t):
- Look for things that might inadvertently make unnecessary noise like a fan or air conditioning and turn them off.
- If possible, redecorate your rooms to be more hearing-friendly with soft furniture, carpets, and curtains (instead of hard wood or sleek surfaces that cause sound to bounce around).
- Use technology that can help boost sounds you want to hear and filter out the sounds you don’t, like remote controls for music and TV, streaming to your laptop or phone, feedback cancelling devices, and pre-programmed automatic volume controls.
Talking to an Audiologist about Hearing Aids and Amplifiers
Your audiologist is your hearing’s best friend, and will be able to give you recommendations for hearing aids according to your lifestyle or circumstances. Some of these hearing aids (such as those with Bluetooth capabilities) can even be programmed to work with the technology you use for watching your favourite shows or listening to music. There are even hearing aids that can be programmed to adjust to specific places or surroundings like a cafe or windy outdoor areas.
Hearing aids are a lot more advanced and therefore a lot more manageable than they were when they were first invented—some models are even hands-free and come with remote controls. They’ve also become a lot more inconspicuous, which can help you feel less self-conscious about wearing hearing aids in public.
Of course, you will have to maintain them and keep them clean, but then that sort of maintenance also applies to, say, a pair of glasses or contacts or assistive walking devices. You can ask your audiologist about cleaning and maintenance, as well as amplifiers you can use for your phone, TV, or other places where hearing becomes extra challenging like a car or public transport.
The sooner you talk to your audiologist about testing for hearing loss or about hearing aids, the better. View the website of a reputable audiology clinic and get the help you deserve for hearing loss, today.
Also Read: 7 Practical Ideas to Encourage Learning for Hearing Impaired Children
