How to Cope With Hearing Loss As You Age

You would think the situation is hard enough for people born with hearing loss. Contrary to this, it is harder for those who get to experience the pleasure and ability to hear only for it to be gradually taken away by injury, disease or old age. It gets tough to deal with hearing loss and people tend to live in denial rather than confronting the problem, mostly because of vanity, lack of awareness or concern over medical costs.

What is Presbycusis?

Age-related hearing loss or presbycusis is one of the most common conditions affecting elderly adults which gradually occurs in most of us as we grow older. Presbycusis usually restrains people to hear high-pitched sounds whereas it may be difficult to hear the ringing of a telephone or a hissing kettle. It is the most common form of hearing loss as the cells in the ear are slowly being damaged to the normal ‘wear and tear’ of the hearing condition.

People who have presbycusis may not realise that their hearing is diminishing since the process of loss is gradual. For them, sounds such as ‘s’ and ‘th’ are difficult to hear and tell apart and the speech of others seems mumbled or slurred. Since presbycusis restrains people to hear high-pitched sounds it is much easier to hear a man’s voice compared with a woman’s. Moreover, certain sounds seem annoying or overly loud and conversations become difficult to understand especially when there is background noise. A ringing or hissing sound in one or both ears (tinnitus) may also occur.

How to cope with hearing loss?

Just because age-related hearing loss is a natural part of ageing, it is not something to be ignored. Struggling to hear may cause fatigue, stress, tension and depression. Additionally, alertness is reduced and memory and learning ability are decreased. Here are some tips on how you can successfully cope with hearing loss:

Consult a health-care provider

The most important thing you can do if you think you have a hearing issue is to seek advice from a professional as hearing problems can be serious. You might want to start with an otolaryngologist to evaluate your condition and exclude related systemic disorders that may contribute to the problem. You can also seek advice from an audiologist who can conduct a complete hearing evaluation and determine if a hearing aid may be useful.

Support of family and friends

The support of your family and friends is crucial for you to be able to deal with your hearing loss. Do not be afraid to tell them about your condition to eliminate further misunderstandings. You can ask them to speak louder but not shout and to not talk slowly, just more clearly. Working together to hear better may be tough for everyone for a while but it will be worth the effort.

Speechreading

You can ask your friends and family to face you when they talk so that you can see their faces and see their expressions which may help you to understand them better. You can also ask them to use visual cues for you to understand better what is being said in conversations or presentations.

Hearing aids

One of the audiologists’ roles is to help their patients accept the need for hearing aids and begin the steps toward rehabilitation. Hearing aids have a vast array of styles, sizes and options but remember that it takes an expert to find and adjust the one for you. Moreover, do not let the cost be the deciding factor and end up with an ineffective hearing aid that you won’t use.

At Hearing Solutions UK, we aim to keep the process of selecting the right hearing aid for you as simple and jargon-free as possible, since we understand that accepting you need help with your hearing can be difficult. We also understand that our customers have different needs and requirements so we ensure to make your experience as discreet and personal as possible. We, at Hearing Solutions UK, strive to provide the highest standard of care to each and every one of our customers from the initial assessment, customer discussion and prescription, to your aftercare and product maintenance. Call us on 0800 810 8050 to book a free consultation today.

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