Explaining Hearing Loss to Your Loved Ones

If you are experiencing hearing loss, then it’s important to realize the changes that this will bring to your life. While it doesn’t mean that you are going to see a drop in your quality of life, it will lead to differences. For instance, once you speak to an audiologist, they will likely recommend that you do use hearing aids.

Hearing aids will ensure that you can hear more clearly and are key for maintaining a conversation or perhaps using tech devices. However, one of the most important things that you need to think about when you experience hearing loss is how to explain it to your loved ones. Let’s explore some of the key points that you should consider here.

Be Open About Your Experience

It’s extremely important that you are being open about your experiences about hearing loss with your loved ones. If they want answers and they want to know about how you are doing, then they want to know because they genuinely care. There is nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to talking about hearing health, so be as open as you can. We understand that there may be some things that you don’t necessarily want to talk about and that’s ok, it’s your health, it’s your choice.

Just know that you can be open with these people. These people are the ones who love you most in the entire world and they just want to know that you are doing okay. Plus, sharing your knowledge may help another of your loved ones if they experience hearing loss at some point down the line.

Don’t Sugarcoat the Truth

You should also ensure that you are not sugarcoating the truth from your loved ones. They don’t want the watered-down version of your experience and they don’t want to hear what you think they want to hear. They want to know exactly what is going on with your hearing loss, how it is impacting you, how you are coping and likely if there is anything that they can do to help you with this.

While some parts might be a little difficult to talk about, it’s best that you do. Not only for your loved ones, but also for you. For some people, hearing loss can come as a bit of a shock and it can be hard to come to terms with, but these are all things that your loved ones need to know so that they can offer you the best support.

Let Them Ask Questions

If you find yourself stuck for what to say, then you can always let them ask questions. This is easier than trying to explain what you think they want to know, and allows you to give them the answers that they are looking for. However, you can also make sure that you are telling them the things that you want them to know, even if they haven’t asked this specific question. Explaining hearing loss to your loved ones is very personal, and you want to get all the information across that you want to, as well as the information that they want to know.

Take Your Hearing Test Results with You

You should also make sure that you are using the results of your hearing test to explain your hearing loss to your loved ones. No two hearing test results are the same and there will always be significant differences that are worth exploring here. For instance, you might find that your hearing loss prevents you from being able to hear certain noises at higher frequencies.

This is important for your loved ones to know as it will mean that they should speak with a lower tone to ensure that you can still hear them clearly when they are speaking to you. Remember, if you are not sure about the results of your hearing test and what they mean you should speak to an audiologist. They can explain everything to you and ensure that you know how to explain it in the clearest way to your loved ones.

We hope this helps you understand some of the key points that you should think about when you are determining how to explain hearing loss to your loved ones the right way. If you need more support, then you should contact a professional service such as Affordable Audiology & Hearing Service at (920) 267-5220. They can provide you with all the information that you need and help you with advice on how to approach the subject with your loved ones.