Watching sports with Ted is very frustrating. He has the volume turned up so loud the walls shake, and you certainly can’t tune in to the game. All you notice 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 isn’t by any means enjoyable. But the volume seems fine for Ted. Everything has to be at max volume in order for him to hear it, making it pretty apparent that it’s time to think about hearing aids. How to discuss this with him is the challenge. His sensitivity about the topic makes what should be a simple conversation a lot more difficult.
These tips are a good place to start.
You Can Suggest he Gets a Basic Hearing Evaluation
Ted needs to find out more about his hearing from an expert. Other people might not seem as credible when they talk to him about it. In that situation, the strategy will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
One of the following tactics might help you do that:
- Attempt to make him feel more comfortable by letting him know that it’s just a simple assessment. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. We can clarify what the results mean.
- Offer to get a screening too. This is a helpful way to broach a new medical situation. You may discover that you also have some level of hearing impairment (it could depend on how long you’ve been exposed to a high-volume noise).
Discuss Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss is often undetectable because it advances so slowly. Certain subconscious behaviors often develop when this occurs. By concentrating your discussion on those behaviors, you can subtly (or not so subtly) hint that Ted (or somebody like him) needs a hearing aid.
Try something like the following:
- Mention that you’ve noticed how frequently you’re “translating” for him. Here’s a hypothetical example: someone is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to keep repeating what was said because he can’t understand them.
- Make him aware 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.
- You could tell him the family has noticed he’s been having a tough time hearing. Each year it seems as if fewer and fewer people are going over to see the Big Game and that could be because the TV is turned up so loud.
The goal during these discussions is to keep your discussion focused on these behaviors instead of the disorder. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing loss, mention how his hearing loss impacts people in his life.
Talk About Hearing Aid Technology
In some instances, reticence to using hearing aids comes from outdated (but understandable) notions of what hearing aids do and how they impact one’s personal appearance. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology employed by contemporary hearing aids.
The following are some examples:
- The technology of modern hearing aids is quite advanced. Thanks to connectivity, for example, your hearing aids will pair easily with your phone or even your television speakers. With this technology, the volume of your devices will be increased without feedback and noise.
- Modern hearing aids are generally extremely small and almost entirely imperceptible to the naked eye. Not only that, modern hearing aids are exceptionally comfortable for the wearer. They’re not cumbersome like they once were. They won’t even be seen by most people.
- Some hearing aids can even monitor your health and fitness biometrics and render them in real time as well as other additional features.
For many individuals, hearing aids feel like an extension of their smartphones or tablets. Modern hearing aids are exceptionally helpful pieces of technology that allow you to enjoy live streaming.
Promote The Long-Term Advantages
Finally, take some time to point out the connection between hearing loss and mental health decline. Essentially, your brain health depends on you being capable of hearing clearly.
You will keep more of your hearing intact in the long run if you treat 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 missing frequencies.
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.
