Watching sports with Ted is very frustrating. He has the volume cranked up so high the walls rattle, and you surely can’t tune in to the game. The announcer’s play-by-play calls are an ear shattering staccato against the deafening roar of the crowd.
It isn’t pleasant. But the volume sounds normal for Ted. Everything has to be at max volume in order for him to hear it, making it pretty obvious that it’s time to consider hearing aids. You’re just not certain how to tell him that. It should be a simple discussion, but he seems overly sensitive about the topic.
The following are a few recommendations that may help.
Encourage a Simple Exam
Ted needs a specialist to inform him about his hearing. Other people might not sound as credible when they tell him about it. If that’s the case, the trick will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
One of the following tactics may help you do that:
- Attempt to make him feel more comfortable by letting him know that it’s just a simple screening. In most cases, hearing screenings are fast and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. The significance of the results can then be broken down by us.
- Recommend that both of you go together for back-to-back assessments. This can make beginning the dialogue easier. You might discover that you also have some degree of hearing loss (it may depend on how long you’ve been subjected to a high-volume sound).
Discuss Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss is often indiscernible because it advances so slowly. When this happens, 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 something like the following:
- Letting him know that his family has observed him straining to hear. Maybe 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.
- Point out that you’ve observed how frequently you’re “translating” for him. Here’s a hypothetical example: somebody is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to keep repeating what was said because he can’t hear them.
- Point out that he’s been avoiding talking to friends and family members on the phone because he has difficulty hearing what’s being said.
The goal during these conversations is to keep your discussion focused on these behaviors rather than the ailment. Instead of discussing how Ted is experiencing hearing impairment, mention how his hearing loss effects people in his life.
Talk About Hearing Aid Technology
Antiquated notions of how a hearing aid impacts your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some circumstances, results in reticence to wear one. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology used by modern hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Modern hearing aids have an incredible amount of technology. Thanks to connectivity, for instance, your hearing aids will pair easily with your phone or even your television speakers. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be increased without noise and feedback.
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and translate them in real time as well as other added features.
- Modern hearing aids are usually extremely small and almost totally imperceptible to the naked eye. That’s not all, modern hearing aids are incredibly comfortable for the wearer. They’re not bulky like they once were. Most people will probably never detect you’re wearing them.
Hearing aids, for many individuals, are a perfect extension to their other smart technology. Modern hearing aids are extremely useful pieces of technology that help you enjoy live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Advantages
Finally, take the time to emphasize the connection between hearing loss and cognitive decline. In other words, your brain health depends on you being able to hear clearly.
You will keep more of your hearing undamaged in the long run if you treat your hearing loss as soon as you can. When you have hearing impairment, your ears have a difficult time processing particular 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 start experiencing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and understanding that will help convince people like Ted to seek help.