Watching sports with Ted is very difficult. He has the volume cranked up so high the walls rattle, and you surely can’t pay attention to the game. All you can hear is the roar of the crowd pounding against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the commentator’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t by any means enjoyable. But the volume seems fine for Ted. He requires the TV to be tremendously loud so he can hear it, which makes it rather clear he needs a hearing aid. How to discuss this with him is the challenge. His sensitivity about the topic makes what should be a simple conversation much more difficult.
These tips are a good place to start.
Recommend a Basic Exam
Ted needs to find out more about his hearing from a specialist. He may not believe other people when they inform him he needs a hearing aid. If that’s the case, the strategy will be convincing Ted (or anyone like him) to come see us.
You may be able to do that by using one of the following tactics:
- Offer to get a screening too. This can make starting the conversation easier. It’s possible you’ll learn that you’ve experienced some hearing loss, as well (depending on how long you’ve been subjected to loud noise).
- Stress that he’ll only be undergoing a quick screening. In most cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. Ted will get his results on an audiogram, which will analyze his hearing by frequency. We can clarify what the results indicate.
Talk About Behaviors Connected To Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is frequently indiscernible because it advances so gradually. When this happens, you might acquire certain behaviors without knowing it. You can hint in a discreet 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. Perhaps that’s why fewer individuals are going to his home to watch the Big Game each year, they have a tough time dealing with the loud television.
- Mention that you’ve observed how often you’re “translating” for him. Here’s a hypothetical example: your friend says something at dinner, Ted doesn’t hear or understand it, and you have to repeat the sentence to Ted because you’re closer to him.
- Remind Him that he’s not using the phone as much as he once did because he has a difficult time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
When you have these discussions focusing on these behaviors, not the disorder, will be the objective. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, point out how his hearing loss impacts those around him.
Talk About Hearing Aid Technology
In some instances, reticence to using hearing aids comes from antiquated (but understandable) notions of what hearing aids do and how they affect one’s personal appearance. It may not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology utilized by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Modern hearing aids contain a huge amount of technology. Your hearing aid will connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, and other smart devices thanks to Bluetooth® connectivity. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be amplified without noise and feedback.
- Modern hearing aids are generally extremely small and almost totally imperceptible to the naked eye. Not only that, modern hearing aids are incredibly comfortable for the wearer. They’re not cumbersome like they once were. Most individuals will most likely never detect you’re wearing them.
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and render them in real time as well as other additional features.
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.
Promote The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to mention the long-term benefits of hearing aids, which have been demonstrated to help people keep (or recover) mental equity. Essentially, your brain health depends on you being able to hear clearly.
The sooner you address your hearing loss, the more hearing you’re likely to keep in the long run. When you have hearing loss, your ears have a difficult time processing specific 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.
Getting treatment as soon as you begin experiencing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and understanding that will help convince people like Ted to seek help.