Hearing HealthCare Associates |About Hearing Loss

Understanding Hearing Loss
A Family Guide

An estimated 26 million people suffer from some degree of hearing loss...which means that either directly or indirectly, each of us is affected.

Hearing usually deteriorates very gradually. The process can be so slow that the impaired person may not even be aware of the problem until others notice it.

The hearing impaired person exhibits slight personality shifts, asking others to repeat what they say more often, or turning up the TV and radio. The entire family may find they are making changes to accomodate these changes as well.

The solution may be a hearing aid. However, many hearing impaired individuals resist the help because of the stigma wrongfully attached to hearing aids. With the technology available today, this is indeed a tragic loss.

Once the hearing impaired individual accepts the advantages of a hearing aidm they may face the often frustrating task of relearning how to listen. This often takes a period of time to redevelop.

During this period, the rest of the family plays an important role in the hearing impaired person's adjustment to amplification.

Attention to the following guidelines helps ease the hearing aid user's transition to better communication.

Some degree of lip reading is part of understanding oral communication; when possible, speak to the hearing aid user's face. .
Get their attention before you speak.
Don't try to communicate in noisy environments during the first few weeks of hearing aid use. During this period, the hearing aid user is learning to sort out important sound from distracting background noise. This can be difficult in the beginning.
If you haven't been understood, rephrase rather than repeat. With each successful listening experience, the hearing aid user develops more confidence in the hearing aid.
For optimum comfort, sit eight to ten feet from your television.
Hearing is more difficult when people are tired or ill.

Patience and understanding are essential as hearing aid users redevelop listening skills at their own pace. Your attitude can either discourage the use of a hearing aid, or help the hearing impaired person realize its full benefits.

DEALING WITH HEARING LOSS

By now you have had your hearing professionally tested and have beed told the fact that you have a permanent hearing problem. You now have 2 choices:

(1) denial or (2) acceptance . It is normal for most people to go through a period of denial. What is sad is that most people will wait five-to-seven years before solving their hearing problem.

A person in denial uses a typical thought process.

"I hear fine, it's just that people mumble; they don't speak clearly any more."
"It's the noisy places where I have trouble hearing...I'll just avoid those places and I'll be OK."
"My hearing will heal in time.
"I hear what I need to hear. I'll just ask them to repeat."
"I can cope with it. I'll just concentrate a little harder."
"It's really not bad enough that I need hearing aids yet."
"Wearing hearing aids does not fit into my self image."
"If my hearing gets any worse, then I'll get help."

The fact is, you cannot hide your hearing loss. It's more obvious than any pair of hearing aids. Your associates, clients, friends, and loved ones already know that you have it. You can push the fact out of your mind, but you are only fooling yourself.

You can decide to try and conceal your problem, but the symptoms have already given your secret away.

You answer the wrong questions.
You confuse similar words like "bathroom" and "vacuum", "dime" and "time", "peach" and "teach".
You turn-up the TV too loud for normal listeners.
You have started a pattern of asking others to repeat what they have said.
When listening, you get a confused look on your face.

And if you continue to conceal your problem, you are like a person who looks at himself in the mirrorm sees cake crumbs on his face, and stubbornly refuses to brush it away. Your commitment to concealing your hearing problem will begin a downward social spiral.

Here are the most usual consequences. You will eventually...

Give up your favorite activities rather than be embarrassed by your hearing problem.
Avoid all situations which could be difficult.
Lose your sharpness, your vibrant self.
Unknowingly shift your burden to your loved ones..
Cause loved ones to give up on you.
Become a victim of your decision to do nothing.

The first step to overcoming your communication problem is admitting to yourself and to your nearest loved one(s)...

That you have an irreversible hearing problem.
That your hearing problem is affecting the quality of your life.
That medication will not "open up" your ears.
That there is not a surgery that will correct sensorineual or a mixed-type hearing loss.
That your friends, loved ones clients and associates already know you have a problem hearing.
That the only positive choice you have is hearing aids.