Hearing Loss
Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is like having a juicy bit of gossip being told about you. No matter how vigilant you may be, you always seem to be the last one to know.
That’s not entirely your fault, of course. As health problems go, hearing loss is a sneaky one, slipping up on you gradually. You may not notice the problem until you start telling your grandchildren to speak up. Or other people complain that your TV or radio is too loud. Or someone sends you on an errand and you come back with the wrong things.
When it starts to happen regularly, it can be annoying, frustrating, maybe even a little scary. But you don’t have to accept it as a part of aging. As a first step, you should always see a doctor for an evaluation. Hearing loss can be caused by permanent nerve damage due to aging, says Ernest Mhoon, M.D., professor of otolaryngology at the University of Chicago. But the problem may also be something correctable, such as impacted ear wax. Only your doctor can help you determine which it is. If you are suffering hearing loss, here are some ways that you and your loved ones can make communication easier and more enjoyable.
Try This First
Get within eyeshot. Seeing a person can actually help you understand what he’s saying. Try to look at people when they’re talking to you, says Laurel Glass, M.D., former director of the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School Center on Deafness. You need to make sure you pick up all the visual cues and body language you can to help fill in the blanks of what you don’t hear.
When you are talking with someone, make sure his face is not in shadows, or visual cues for speech reading will be lost, advises Michael Wynne, Ph.D., associate professor in the department of otolaryngology at the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis.
Other Wise Ways
Close the gap. Get within several feet of the person to whom you are talking. “The sound energy level is very important, and for every six feet you’re away from the speaker, you lose half the energy volume of his voice,” says Charles P. Kimmelman, M.D., professor of otolaryngology at Cornell University Medical College and attending physician at Manhattan Eye, Ear, and Throat Hospital, both in New York City.
Find a quiet spot. If you’re going to do any kind of important communication, make sure you do it with the television off or in an environment that doesn’t have a lot of distracting background noises, says Dr. Wynne. The radio, the dishwasher, and even the noise that a car makes while it’s running can be loud enough to interfere with a conversation.
Ask people to speak slowly and clearly. It helps to have a couple of key phrases at your disposal, Dr. Glass says. This alerts the person with whom you are talking that you have a hear ing loss. Simply asking “What?” or saying “I didn’t hear you” may not be enough.
“You can say ‘Could you slow down just a little and speak a little more firmly?’” Dr. Glass advises. Speaking firmly means putting a little more breath in the voice, not raising the voice, and talking louder.
Let friends and family help you. Communication is a two-way street, remember. If your hearing has been impaired, you can give people some helpful clues so they can communicate with you better, says Dr. Wynne. Let them know that if you don’t understand something, they should repeat it again, the same way, without paraphrasing. If, after repeating it one time, you still don’t understand them, then ask them to rephrase what they said.
Be a parrot. If someone is talking to you and you’re not sure if you heard them correctly, you can double-check by repeating back to him what you think he just said, says Dr. Glass.
Keep your mouth free. Ask people to refrain from eating and chewing gum while talking, suggests Dr. Glass. That can obscure facial expressions. You want to take advantage of every auditory and visual cue you can when you are hearing impaired or if you’re speaking to someone who is. And if you’re a woman with a spouse who has a mustache or beard that covers his upper lip, you may want to ask him to keep it well-groomed so that it’s easier for you to lip-read.
Show your good side. Usually, people with hearing loss have one ear that is better than the other. Be sure to sit with that ear closest to whatever it is you’re trying to hear, says Dr. Mhoon. In social gatherings, focus on talking intimately with a small group of people, and sit so your good side is toward them.
| Managing Your Meds Some diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix), in high doses and some antihypertensive drugs, such as the combination bisoprolol and hydrochlorothiazide (Ziac), can cause hearing loss. Also, certain antibiotics, like gentamicin (Garamycin), can cause temporary or permanent hearing loss. Ask your doctor for advice if you are concerned about these side effects, says Laurel Glass, M.D, former director of the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School Center on Deafness. |
Carry paper and pencil. If your hearing loss if very profound, the best thing to do is carry paper and a pencil with you so you can at least communicate through writing, says Dr. Glass. If you don’t understand what a person has just said, ask that person to write it out.
Clean out your ears. It may seem obvious, but we sometimes forget that wax buildup in our ears can muffle hearing. Make sure you’re wiping your outer ear with a warm, wet washcloth every day, says Dr. Wynne.
Start protecting your ears. No matter how much hearing loss you have, you can always make it worse through exposure to loud noises. Some examples include running motors, power tools, and loud music. If you can’t avoid prolonged exposure to loud noise, get some earplugs and wear them while you’re exposed to the loud sounds, says Dr. Mhoon.
