Watching sports with Ted is incredibly frustrating. He has the volume cranked up so loud the walls rattle, and you definitely can’t pay attention to the game. All you can hear is the thunder of the crowd hammering against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the commentator’s play-by-play calls.
It’s not fun. But for Ted, it’s a normal volume. Everything has to be at max volume for him to hear it, making it rather apparent that it’s time to think about hearing aids. You’re just not certain how to tell him that. His sensitivity about the subject makes what should be a simple conversation a lot more difficult.
The following are several recommendations that may help.
Suggest a Simple Screening
Ted needs an expert to inform him about his hearing. He may not believe other people when they inform him he needs a hearing aid. If that’s the case, the strategy will be getting Ted (or anyone like him) to come see us.
One of the following tactics might help you do that:
- Suggest that both of you go together for back-to-back screenings. This is a helpful way to broach a new medical situation. It’s possible you’ll learn that you’ve experienced some hearing loss, as well (it may depend on how long you’ve been subjected to a high-volume sound).
- Attempt to make him feel more comfortable by letting him know that it’s just a simple screening. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. Ted will receive his results on an audiogram, which will analyze his hearing by frequency. We can clarify what the results mean.
Comment on Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss happens slowly, often progressing so slowly it’s unnoticeable. When this happens, you might acquire certain behaviors without realizing it. You can hint in a discreet way that Ted needs a hearing aid by focusing on these behaviors.
Try something like the following:
- You could tell him the family has noticed he’s been having a tough time hearing. Perhaps that’s why fewer people are going to his home to watch the Big Game each year, they have a tough time dealing with the loud television.
- Make him aware that he’s not using the phone as much as he used to because he has a difficult time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
- Point out situations where you have to translate what somebody said. Here’s a hypothetical example: your friend says something at dinner, Ted doesn’t hear or comprehend it, and you need to repeat what they said to Ted because you’re closer to him.
When you have these talks focusing on these behaviors, not the condition, will be the goal. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing loss, mention how his hearing loss impacts people in his life.
Highlight The Technology in Modern Hearing Aids
Antiquated notions of how a hearing aid affects your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some cases, leads to reluctance to wear one. It may not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology employed by modern hearing aids.
The following are some examples:
- Modern hearing aids have a huge amount of technology. Your hearing aid will connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, and other smart devices by way of Bluetooth® connectivity. This provides amplified volumes without feedback or noise.
- Typically, modern hearing aids are so small you can’t even notice them. That’s not all, modern hearing aids are incredibly comfortable for the wearer. They aren’t the big and bulky units they used to be. They won’t even be seen by most people.
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and translate them in real time as well as other additional features.
For many people, hearing aids feel like an extension of their smartphones or tablets. Modern hearing aids are extremely helpful pieces of technology that allow you to enjoy live streaming.
Promote The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to point out the long-term advantages of hearing aids, which have been shown to help people keep (or recover) mental equity. To put it bluntly, hearing is crucial to a person’s mental health.
You will keep more of your hearing intact in the long run if you manage your hearing loss as soon as you can. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a difficult time processing specific wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. Simply turning up your TV isn’t a substitute for this valuable technology.
Getting treatment as soon as you begin noticing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and understanding that will help convince people like Ted to seek help.