Six-point Action Plan on Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is a chronic communication disorder. It affects every aspect of life and becomes quickly limiting and unsettling. All the more reason to take action!
Here are 6 points for gaining control as hearing loss threatens quality of life in all sorts of ways. The aim is to go forward, NOT backward.
1) Don’t procrastinate!
Most people wait between 5 to 10 years before they act on their hearing challenges. They struggle through denial, accusing others of mumbling and of excluding them. As they do so, they don’t learn what the reason for their loss might be or how to protect and save the hearing they have left. Meanwhile their social and professional ties become increasingly strained.
2) A good start: a medical opinion and hearing tests
How serious is the hearing loss? What type of loss is it? Hearing loss is not always all about aging and genetics. There are many possible causes that range from earwax plugs to brain tumors. Could there be an underlying condition that contributes to the problem? Might technology be able to help? Why wonder and worry?
Getting a medical evaluation along with professional, diagnostic hearing tests is always a good starting point. That said, since December 2016, the FDA no longer requires that adults ─ age 18 and over ─ get a medical evaluation regarding their hearing loss before buying hearing aids. There are different opinions on the issue but it is not a choice that I would ever make for myself. I want to know what I might be missing.
3) Getting hearing help
Technology offers a large variety of instruments to help those with hearing loss. It does not always have to be hearing aids. Hearing tests can help decide which type of device might be helpful.
ALDs (Assistive Listening Devices)
From amplified telephones and phones with caption displays to small, portable, personal radio (FM) systems, PSAPs (Personal Sound Amplification Products) and even smartphone apps, ALDs can bring some sense of normalcy back into the lives of those with milder losses. They boost hearing and ease communication in certain situations such as following conversations or watching TV. However, they do not help those with more serious losses.
Digital Hearing aids
Digital hearing aids apply to all types of hearing loss. They allow the hearing specialist to target those frequencies, or pitches, that have taken a toll. Although they do not fix hearing loss, they smooth out the hearing patterns and have helped many beyond their wildest dreams.
These instruments have become quite sophisticated with many offering extra features, such as streaming potential, Bluetooth capability and telecoils.
4) Prevent further loss
Avoid noise! Excessive sound levels cause permanent and cumulative damage to the inner-ear hearing cells and hearing nerves. So, how loud is it? Soundmeter phone apps tell how loud a place is and alert to dangerously high levels. For best accuracy, the app must be supported by the phone platform. In other words: an iPhone needs an iPhone compatible app.
Also, discuss effective hearing protection with the hearing specialist. Learn how to apply it correctly and never leave home without it!
5) Learn about hearing loss
Start early! As we are moving into the age of hearing self-help, it pays to learn the basics about hearing loss and to do some research on technology choices. The more information one gets the more fruitful the discussions with professionals become. Learning is liberating and empowering. It gives us new options, which increases self-confidence. Life with hearing loss begins to make sense.
6) Get support
During times of hardship, people expect support from family and friends. That is good, but who supports them?
For those with hearing loss, support groups are safe havens where they can talk without the worry of upsetting or burdening loved ones. People learn from speakers as well as from each other. Getting tips from peers on strategies for daily living, coping skills and technology can make a huge difference in people’s lives. They are NOT alone!
In the end…
If tended to, hearing loss is a chronic but manageable condition. “Doing nothing” or procrastination only put people further behind. And who wants to lose more ground? So, in order to move forward hearing challenges must be considered a “call to action” —a call that must be heeded in the interest of quality of life, for now and for the future.
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For industry Safety training on Noise-induced Hearing Loss prevention or for community presentations, please see the link on this site or email [email protected]
To learn more about hearing loss, please see my book on hearing loss: What Did You Say? An Unexpected Journey into the World of Hearing Loss, now in its second updated edition. Sharing my story and what I had to learn the hard way