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As the first deaf-blind person to achieve a Bachelor of Arts degree, Helen Keller once remarked that her incapacity to hear was the most challenging condition to live with. Even though being blind meant that she was separated from her surroundings, not communicating isolated her from the people around her.
When you have hearing loss, many people don’t understand how difficult it is for you to follow conversations, or that when there is a lot of background noise, you get lost.
A lot of us have preconceived ideas of the hearing loss experience. It is not until we experience the situation ourselves that we fully appreciate the far-reaching consequences of hearing loss. Like everything else, it’s a learning experience to adapt to life with hearing loss – whether it’s your own or anyone else’s – to ensure everybody is understood and noticed.
Here we have collected a list of things that people with hearing loss wanted those around them to consider.
“Hearing loss makes me tired.”
Perhaps how quickly you get tired is one of the hardest things to understand about hearing loss.
Even if you look perfect on the outside, you are always straining to hear every word, making sense of the sounds coming from all sides to you. With half the words missing, the hearing loss leaves you guessing, filling in the blanks, and attempting to understand conversations.
Your brain is stressed out from all this extra processing, and you wish your friends could understand how exhausted you feel at the end of the day.
“I’m not ignoring you.”
Since hearing loss is so gradual and even invisible, it is easy for loved ones to forget that they are still dealing with the issue. If you’re communicating passionately to someone with hearing loss or just sharing your day, we know it may sound stressful when they keep asking you to repeat yourself.
Please understand that when a person with hearing loss asks you to repeat yourself, it’s because they want to understand what you’re saying, and not that they haven’t been paying attention.
“I prefer to speak for myself.”
Those with hearing loss understand that most of the time they need for others to speak for them comes from a place of sincerity. However, they would prefer to speak for themselves.
If anyone asks a question that they have not heard, don’t simply answer the question for them. Instead, let them ask the individual to repeat the question to answer it themselves.
As long as those around them are prepared to make necessary accommodations, individuals with hearing loss communicate on their own just fine.
“Hearing aids don’t work as instantly as glasses.”
Those with hearing aids can hear more clearly and do not face as many challenges as people dealing with the untreated loss of hearing.
It is necessary to remember, however, that hearing aids are not the same as glasses. They don’t work from the moment you put them in your ears, and for someone getting used to their new devices, there is an adjustment period.
Modern hearing technology has advanced tremendously, but they still take up to three months for the user to learn how to process certain sounds in the right way.
“In order to help us communicate, there are things you can do.”
Those with hearing loss might share their own tips and tricks that others can do to make them understand conversations better, but there are a few steps you can take, which should help all those who have hearing loss communicate better with you.
- Always face the person with hearing loss, and before speaking, get their attention. This will ensure that when you start talking, they are prepared and ready to listen, and will not have to play catch-up, struggling to put together the context of what you said before they even started listening.
- It is essential to be clear and concise when speaking, and repeat yourself if need be.
- Try not to obscure your face because people with hearing loss rely on facial expressions and nonverbal signs. In an age of face masks and social distancing, advice for communicating effectively can be found here.
If you or someone you love suffers from hearing loss, you are not alone. Nearly 48 million Americans live with hearing loss and struggle to connect with friends and family every day. If you’re ready for positive change, contact us today for a hearing test!