Living With Hearing Loss: Tips and Strategies for Day to Day Life
According to the Hearing and Language Association of America, hearing loss affects about 15% of American adults—that’s about 37.5 million people—so if you’re facing this challenge, you’re not alone. Accepting and adapting to hearing loss is difficult, though, and it’s easy to start feeling frustrated with this new dilemma. It helps to start learning how to cope and manage, as this will help you feel more in control. Here are a few tips and strategies to help you learn to live with hearing challenges.
Find A Hearing Specialist
If you start to notice changes in your hearing, you need to connect with a hearing specialist in Selbyville as soon as possible. These professionals can conduct hearing evaluations to determine the extent of your hearing loss and make recommendations on hearing aids and devices that might be helpful.
Talk Face to Face
One thing that many people find helpful when they are dealing with hearing problems is to ask others to face them when speaking. This gives you more information to put along with the sounds you’re hearing. You’ll see facial expressions and have the added benefit of reading the person’s lips to some degree. When someone is speaking to you face to face, the sounds are hitting your ears more directly, making it easier to understand them.
Talk With Friends and Family About the Problem
If you refuse to let others know you’re having challenges, it will continually work against you. Hearing loss is nothing to be ashamed of, and feeling frustrated or saddened by this change is perfectly normal. When you share what you’re dealing with with your friends and family, they’ll be better equipped to help and accommodate you. Be sure to explain what things are helpful and what things are not. For instance, facing an individual when having a conversation is usually helpful. It isn’t always helpful to speak louder and louder while not facing them.
Research Hearing Aids
A hearing specialist in Dagsboro, DE, can advise you on whether or not you need hearing aids. Hearing aids help millions of people lead normal lives and improve their hearing daily. You should get evaluated for a device before selecting the one that is most suited for your needs. There are many different types of hearing aids available, so you’ll need to do some research and work with a hearing specialist to find the perfect fit for your hearing needs and lifestyle.
Start Learning Nonverbal Cues
Start learning more about nonverbal cues, which are the parts of language that are not spoken. These can include body language, lip reading, hand gestures, and facial expressions. You can learn about nonverbal communication through online videos, books, or classes.
Be Patient With Yourself
This is an entirely new situation, and there will be a learning curve. If you get too frustrated with yourself, it’ll be even more difficult to learn the skills you need to communicate effectively. You need to make peace with this new development, embrace it as a new part of your journey, and learn all you can to adapt.
Take Advantage of Available Services
Many commonplace services are available to assist individuals with hearing loss. First, you’ll want to start using closed captioning on your television. Rather than turning your TV up louder and louder, learn to enjoy shows while using closed captioning. You’ll still be able to keep up with the show or movie while keeping the volume reasonable.
There are also often public services for individuals with hearing loss. It’s better to use these rather than struggle through the event or task.
If you’re looking for a hearing aid specialist, please contact us today.