10 Ways to Manage Your Hearing Loss
Roughly 15% of American adults report some degree of hearing loss. That would be almost 38 million people who encounter some sort of hindrance to the way they live their daily lives. Occurring anywhere from birth to retirement life stages, hearing loss likely impacts you or someone you know.
By the age of 65, about one in three people experiences a loss of hearing. Age-related hearing loss, also known as presbycusis, is an inner-ear change that can cause a progressive hearing loss that is permanent.
A diagnosis of hearing loss can be difficult to come to terms with. It’s important to understand that you are not alone. You don’t have to simply accept it as a natural part of getting older. Understanding how to manage your hearing loss can help improve your quality of life.
10 Ways to Manage Your Hearing Loss
As the third most common public health issue affecting Americans (behind arthritis and heart disease), hearing loss is an important condition to manage proactively. Here are our tips to help:
- Give yourself time – If you’ve been prescribed hearing aids, it can take some time to get used to your new devices. Be patient, and give yourself time. Just like the first time you wear a new pair of glasses, your brain needs to adjust to your hearing aids.
- Use your hearing aids – Your hearing aids are an important way to manage your hearing loss. Plus, wearing them can have hidden benefits you may not have considered. We recommend keeping a spare pair of hearing aid batteries with you, so you don’t have to worry about your devices running out!
- Don’t be ashamed of your hearing loss – It can be embarrassing asking people to repeat themselves. Rather than let someone know you have a hearing loss, some of us simply avoid communication or social settings. Don’t be ashamed of your hearing loss. Reminding friends and family that you have difficulty hearing can help make everything much easier!
- Use assistive technology when possible – Assistive devices can make managing your hearing loss easier. Things like telephone typewriters, speech to text, vibrating alarm clocks or Bluetooth connectivity are just a few ways you can use assistive technology to your advantage.
- Use hearing protection – As the saying goes, “prevention is better than a cure.” Reduce the risk of further damage to your hearing by using hearing protection. Learn what level of hearing protection you may need here.
- Keep your hearing device clean and in good working order – Your hearing aid is a valuable investment. It’s important to keep it in good working condition. Our hearing aid maintenance guide offers tips on maintenance and cleaning.
- Learn additional communication methods – We use much more than just words for communication. Body language, hand gestures, facial expressions, eye contact and tone of voice all play a role in communication. Although hearing loss can make communication more difficult, there are ways to facilitate communication. Click here to learn more.
- Look for hearing loss support groups – You’re not the only person with hearing loss. Finding other people who have difficulty hearing can help provide you a support network of empathetic individuals. Plus, it can introduce you to a new social group!
- Consider your environment – Whether you’re at home or heading out to a restaurant, think of the environment you’re going to. Is it noisy? Make any necessary adjustments to your hearing aids in advance, so you don’t have to worry while you’re out and about.
- Stay on top of your hearing assessments – It’s important to stay on top of your regular hearing assessments. This will allow your hearing healthcare specialist to identify any changes to your baseline hearing. They can then make the necessary adjustments to your hearing devices.
Visit the Hearing Specialists at Anderson Audiology!
At Anderson Audiology, we are here to help you with your hearing needs. Schedule an appointment today with one of our hearing professionals at one of our five convenient audiology clinic locations in southern Nevada.