Hearing aids are a common and effective tool for people with hearing loss. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid.
However, even though many people use hearing aids, it can feel awkward, bringing up the fact that you wear them to others. Let’s go over a few ways to discuss both your hearing loss and hearing aid use with others.
Be Open About Your Hearing Loss Sooner Rather Than Later
Though you may feel slightly uncomfortable talking about your hearing loss, bringing it up sooner rather than later can help avoid any potential misunderstandings, particularly if it’s someone you’ve just been introduced to.
Hearing loss makes it easier to miss parts of a conversation or mishear what someone has said. While hearing aids help, it can still be difficult to make out everything, especially in busier or louder environments.
If a person doesn’t know about your hearing loss, it can be easy for them to assume you aren’t listening to them or perhaps are even upset with them. Giving them an early heads-up eliminates that risk.
Discuss Helpful Communication Strategies
Opening up about your hearing loss also offers you a great way to introduce effective communication strategies that can make conversation easier for you and those around you. It can be helpful to say things like:
- Please make sure to get my attention before you start speaking to me.
- I may need you to repeat or rephrase things if I don’t understand.
- Try to face me and avoid covering your mouth when we’re speaking so that I can read your lips.
Highlight What You Love About Your Hearing Aids
Today’s hearing aids don’t just make it easier to understand speech and other sounds. They have other amazing technological abilities as well.
Talk about how much you love being able to stream phone calls directly into your device or how great it is that your hearing aids automatically adjust to help tune out background noise when out at a busy restaurant like Drexler’s Wood Fired Grill.
By doing so, you’ll not only help yourself feel more comfortable talking about your hearing aids, but you will also help to destigmatize hearing loss for others as well.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist, call Hampton Roads ENT ~ Allergy today.