Watching sports with Ted is very difficult. Paying attention to the game is impossible because the volume is cranked up so loud that the walls shake. The announcer’s play-by-play calls are an ear shattering staccato against the deafening roar of the crowd.
It isn’t pleasant. But for Ted, it’s a normal volume. Everything has to be at max volume in order for him to hear it, making it pretty obvious that it’s time to think about hearing aids. You’re just not sure how to tell him that. It should be a simple discussion, but he seems overly sensitive about the topic.
These tips are a good place to begin.
You Can Recommend he Gets a Basic Hearing Exam
Ted needs to learn more about his hearing from a specialist. Other people might not seem as credible when they tell him about it. In that situation, the trick will be getting Ted (or anyone like him) to come see us.
You may be able to accomplish that by using one of the following tactics:
- Recommend the two of you go together for back-to-back assessments. This is a beneficial way to broach a new medical situation. You might discover that you also have some level of hearing loss (it may depend on how long you’ve been exposed to a high-volume sound).
- Stress that he’ll only be having a quick assessment. In most cases, hearing screenings are fast and easy. Ted will receive his results on an audiogram, which will break down his hearing by frequency. The meaning of the results can then be broken down by us.
Comment on Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss is often undetectable because it advances so slowly. When this occurs, you may acquire certain behaviors without realizing it. You can hint in a subtle way that Ted needs a hearing aid by putting attention on these behaviors.
Try some of these strategies:
- Informing him that his family has noticed him straining to hear. Maybe that’s why fewer individuals are going to his home to watch the Big Game each year, they have a difficult time coping with the loud television.
- Mention that you’ve noticed how frequently you’re “translating” for him. It may happen like this: someone is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to keep repeating what was said because he can’t hear them.
- Remind Him that he’s not using the phone as much as he once did because he has a hard time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
The goal during these talks is to keep your discussion centered on these behaviors instead of the disorder. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, mention how his hearing loss effects people in his life.
Highlight The Technology in Modern Hearing Aids
Antiquated ideas of how a hearing aid affects your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some cases, leads to reticence to use one. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology employed by modern hearing aids.
The following are some examples:
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and translate them in real time as well as other added features.
- The technology of modern hearing aids is pretty advanced. Thanks to connectivity, for instance, your hearing aids will pair seamlessly with your phone or even your television speakers. With this technology, the volume of your devices will be increased without noise and feedback.
- Typically, modern hearing aids are so small you can’t even see them. And, modern hearing aids are also comfortable to wear. They aren’t the big and cumbersome units they used to be. Most individuals will probably never notice you’re wearing them.
Hearing aids, for many individuals, are an ideal extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are extremely practical and will help you enjoy activities such as live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to mention the long-term advantages of hearing aids, which have been shown to help people keep (or recover) their cognitive faculties. In other words, your brain health depends on you being capable of hearing clearly.
You will keep more of your hearing undamaged in the long run if you manage your hearing loss as soon as you can. When you have hearing loss, your ears have a hard time processing particular wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. When you simply turn the volume up you don’t fill in the specific frequencies that are missing.
Understanding that your hearing can be preserved by getting treatment when you first observe signs of hearing impairment will help people like Ted feel comfortable seeking the help they need.