(BPT) - Full of festive gatherings, this time of year brings us close to friends and family. But if you know someone suffering from hearing loss, it may be hard for you both to fully enjoy time together. You can help improve your loved one’s quality of life by addressing the problem with understanding and care. With a few simple steps, you can start the conversation and help find a solution.
From not being able to hear during family dinners and having grandkids disinterested in conversations due to lack of understanding to requiring the TV or radio to be unreasonably loud, a number of different scenarios can be indications of just how much hearing loss affects normal activities and communication.
kAm#2E96C E92? D:>A=J 2AA=J:?8 D9@CE\E6C> D@=FE:@?D[ DF49 2D DA62<:?8 =@F56C[ =62G:?8 E96 C@@> H96? E96 %' :D @? @C C6A62E:?8 J@FCD6=7 4@?DE2?E=J[ 96=A 2 =@G65 @?6 7:?5 2 36EE6C D@=FE:@?] (96? 2AAC@249:?8 D@>6@?6 23@FE 962C:?8 =@DD[ C6>6>36C 96 @C D96 >2J 36 :? 56?:2= @C D6=7\4@?D4:@FD 23@FE E96 AC@3=6>] w6C6 2C6 2 76H DE6AD E@ 7@==@H E@ 96=A E96 AC@46DD 8@ D>@@E9=Jik^Am
kAm$E6A `i r@?G6CD2E:@? DE2CE6CDk^Am
kAm&D:?8 E96 A9C2D6 “x’G6 ?@E:465 C646?E=J]]]” :D 2 8C62E 4@?G6CD2E:@? DE2CE6C] v:G6 C62= 6I2>A=6D E92E 56>@?DEC2E6 E96 962C:?8 AC@3=6>i 7@C 6I2>A=6[ 6IA=2:? 9@H J@F’G6 ?@E:465 E96 8C2?549:=5C6? 5@?’E H2?E E@ A=2J 82>6D H:E9 vC2?5>2 @C vC2?5A2 2?J =@?86C 3642FD6 E96J 86E 7CFDEC2E65 E96J 42?’E 36 962C5] ~C[ A6C92AD J@F’G6 ?@E:465 E96 A6CD@? :D?’E E2=<:?8 @? E96 A9@?6 >F49 2?J>@C6j DF886DE E92E J@F’C6 H@CC:65 23@FE 9:> @C 96C 364@>:?8 H:E95C2H? @C :D@=2E65 7C@> 7C:6?5D]k^Am
kAm$E6A ai r@?5F4E 2 42DF2= 962C:?8 E6DEk^Am
kAmp7E6C J@F’G6 925 E96 :?:E:2= 4@?G6CD2E:@?[ 2 A6CD@? H:E9 962C:?8 =@DD >2J DE:== 36 96D:E2?E E@ G:D:E 2 962C:?8 42C6 AC@76DD:@?2=[ D@ 2? 62DJ :?E6C:> DE6A :D E@ 8@ @?=:?6 2?5 4@?5F4E 2 962C:?8 E6DE :? E96 4@>7@CE @7 J@FC @H? 9@>6] ':D:E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^DE2C<6J]4@>^962C:?8\=@DD\2?5\EC62E>6?E^:56?E:7J\962C:?8\=@DD^~?=:?6\w62C:?8\%6DEQmHHH]$E2C<6J]4@>k^2m 2?5 92G6 J@FC =@G65 @?6 2?DH6C 7:G6 D9@CE BF6DE:@?D 2?5 E96? =:DE6? E@ 2 D6C:6D @7 E@?6D] xE @?=J E2<6D 2 76H >:?FE6D 2?5 H:== 8:G6 J@F 3@E9 2 32D:4 F?56CDE2?5:?8 @7 2?J 962C:?8 =@DD :DDF6 E92E 6I:DED] xE 2=D@ AC@G:56D 2? :562 @7 H92E D@>6 A2CED @7 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 962C:?8 6G2=F2E:@? >:89E 36 =:<6 E@ C65F46 762CD] (9:=6 @?=:?6[ J@F 42? 3C@HD6 E9C@F89 5:776C6?E k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^DE2C<6J]4@>^DE2C<6J\AC@5F4ED^962C:?8\2:5\7:?56C\E@@=QmEJA6D @7 962C:?8 2:5Dk^2m E@ D66 9@H 25G2?465 E649?@=@8J :D 4C62E:?8 G:CEF2==J :?G:D:3=6[ 62DJ\E@\FD6 @AE:@?D 7@C 2?J@?6]k^Am
kAm$E6A bi |2<6 2? 2AA@:?E>6?Ek^Am
kAmw62C:?8 =@DD 42? 27764E 2 A6CD@?’D 23:=:EJ E@ =62C?[ D@4:2=:K6 2?5 6?;@J =:76] xE 2=D@ 42? 27764E A6CD@?2= D276EJ[ DF49 2D H96? :>A@CE2?E A9@?6 42==D @C 2=2C>D 2C6 ?@E 962C5] w6=A J@FC =@G65 @?6 >2<6 2? 2AA@:?E>6?E H:E9 2 962C:?8 42C6 AC@76DD:@?2= 7@C 2? 6IA6CE 5:28?@D:D D@ E96 962C:?8 =@DD 42? 36 255C6DD65] x7 J@FC =@G65 @?6 92D 2 ECFDE65 A9JD:4:2?[ D66 :7 E96C6 :D 2 962C:?8 42C6 AC@76DD:@?2= 96 @C D96 C64@>>6?5D] %96? @776C E@ E2<6 J@FC =@G65 @?6 E@ E96 2AA@:?E>6?E – E9:D ?@E @?=J AC@G:56D DFAA@CE 5FC:?8 2 5:77:4F=E E:>6[ 3FE 2=D@ 6?DFC6D E92E E96 2AA@:?E>6?E :D?’E >:DD65] pE E96 2AA@:?E>6?E[ 766= 7C66 E@ 2D< BF6DE:@?D 23@FE EC62E>6?ED 2?5 5:776C6?E 962C:?8 2:5 @AE:@?D]k^Am
kAm#6>6>36C[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^DE2C<6J]4@>^962C:?8\=@DD\2?5\EC62E>6?E^O^=:?<]2DAIn0:5lduu_duagtaugccbuqa`ftttdecsaqb`bU2>Aj0KlKQm962C:?8 =@DD :D 4F>F=2E:G6k^2m] qJ 2==@H:?8 =@G65 @?6D E@ :8?@C6 E96 :DDF6 2?5 56=2J EC62E>6?E[ E96 AC@3=6> 2?5 :ED :>A24ED H:== 4@?E:?F6 E@ 8C@H] qJ @776C:?8 J@FC DFAA@CE 2?5 96=A:?8 2 DA64:2= =@G65 @?6 7:?5 2 D@=FE:@?[ J@F 3@E9 36?67:E 7C@> 36EE6C 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 9@A67F==J 2 C6?6H65 4@??64E:@?]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f_gbU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`f_gbU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am