Don’t Let Hearing Loss harm your Relationship

Not only the person with hearing impairment suffers from anxiety but their spouse or family members also feel burdened in translating and repeating the conversations.

Hearing loss is not only a personal loss as it soon becomes a family issue. The relationships of the person facing hearing loss suffer badly as the lack of proper communication and difficulty in listening impacts the person’s ability in mingling with their friends and family. This leads to frustration and they become socially withdrawn.

Oftentimes people suffering from hearing loss feel left out as they’re unable to actively participate in the ongoing conversations. They can’t listen to what others are saying. Hearing loss takes a toll on your relationships with friends and family and leads to loneliness.

Indications of Hearing Loss

Normal conversations become difficult. You constantly have to ask people to speak slowly, still, you might fail to understand them completely. Social situations become overwhelming for a person suffering from hearing loss.

Hearing loss mostly happens gradually and it’s important to pay attention to the early indications of hearing loss. People are naturally reluctant to admit there’s a problem. As hearing loss is considered a sign of ageing, most people tend to ignore the early signs of hearing loss.

There are some clear indications that you might need a hearing test done –

• It’s increasingly becoming harder to hear and understand full conversations as they sound muffled. Sounds are mostly unclear to you.
• You found it hard to decipher consonant sounds.
• You are finding it hard to hear in the presence of background noises.
• You frequently request others to repeat what they have said and to speak slowly.
• You always turn up the volume of devices and appliances, radio, TV, etc. or else you are not able to hear it and others complain about the high volume.

Hearing Aids and Their Effectiveness

There are tools and communication strategies that can help you with your situation of hearing loss. If you suspect hearing loss then it’s better to get a hearing test done. The soon you figure out the problem the easier it will be for you to look for the hearing aids and assistance.

The type of hearing aids you will require depends upon the severity of the hearing loss you are suffering from. These days low cost hearing aidsare easily available. Though mostly hearing aids come in all price ranges but you can buy them easily on discounted prices.

Digital hearing aidsare a good option if you don’t like to use more heavy hearing aids. Conventional heavy hearing aids are essential if you suffer from heavy hearing loss.

Tips to Communicate Effectively

Follow these tips to communicate more effectively despite your hearing issues. These simple adjustments work well and show your interest in socializing.

• Try to face someone as they talk to hear them. You can read their lips to understand better.
• Ask the other person not to speak very fast. Have the conversation in proper lighting.
• Turn off background noises and unnecessary distractions. This creates an environment that helps and enables hearing more easily.

Your hearing aid consultant can suggest a better fit as per your requirements. Here are a few suggestions for better products that are easily available and are a reliable choice.

Phonak Hearing Aidscan connect to your smartphones, TVs and everyday electronics. You can hear a clear sound and these are rechargeable.

Siemens Hearing Aidsare also a good choice if you suffer from moderate to severe hearing loss. Siemens Pure is a receiver-in-canal hearing aid and comes with advanced hearing features.

Conclusion

You don’t need to suffer in isolation or from depression if there’s hearing loss. Solutions are easily available and you should use them to make your hearing more effective. Age is a natural cause associated with hearing loss.

If you age above 65 years it’s important that you get a hearing test done after every 3 years and seek professional help in the selection of right hearing aid for you.