Watching sports with Ted is incredibly frustrating. Paying attention to the game is impossible because the volume is cranked up so loud that the walls shake. All you notice is the roar of the crowd pounding against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the announcer’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t pleasant. But for Ted, the volume is normal. Everything needs to be at max volume in order for him to be able to hear it, making it pretty apparent that it’s time to think about hearing aids. You’re just not sure how to talk to him that. It should be a straightforward discussion, but he seems excessively sensitive about the topic.
The following are a few recommendations that may help.
Recommend a Simple Exam
Ted has to find out more about his hearing from an expert. Other people may not seem as credible when they talk to him about it. In that situation, the trick will be getting Ted (or anybody like him) to come see us.
You may be able to accomplish that by making use of one of the following strategies:
- Offer to get a screening with him. This can make beginning the conversation easier. You might find out that you also have some degree of hearing loss (it may depend on how long you’ve been subjected to a high-volume noise).
- Try making him feel more comfortable by letting him know that it’s just a simple assessment. In the vast majority of cases, hearing screenings are fast and easy. Ted will receive his results on an audiogram, which will analyze his hearing by frequency. We can explain what the results mean.
Chat About Hearing Loss Behaviors
Hearing loss occurs slowly, often progressing so slowly it’s not noticeable. Certain subconscious behaviors frequently develop when this occurs. You can hint in a discreet way that Ted needs a hearing aid by putting attention on these behaviors.
Try some of these approaches:
- Letting him know that his family has observed him struggling to hear. Perhaps that’s why fewer people are going to his house to watch the Big Game each year, they have a hard time coping with the loud television.
- Point out that he’s been avoiding talking to family members and friends by phone because he has trouble hearing what they say.
- Point out instances where you have to translate what someone said. Here’s a hypothetical example: someone is talking to Ted but you’re closer and Ted needs you to constantly repeat what was said because he can’t understand them.
When you have these talks focusing on these behaviors, not the condition, will be the objective. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing loss, mention how his hearing loss impacts those around him.
Highlight The Technology in Contemporary Hearing Aids
Antiquated notions of how a hearing aid affects your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some circumstances, results in reticence to use one. It may not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology utilized by contemporary hearing aids.
Here are some examples:
- Some hearing aids can even monitor your health and fitness biometrics and render them in real time as well as other additional features.
- Modern hearing aids are typically very small and almost totally imperceptible to the naked eye. Not only that, modern hearing aids are incredibly comfortable for the wearer. They aren’t the big and bulky units they used to be. They won’t even be seen by most people.
- The technology of modern hearing aids is quite advanced. Your hearing aid will connect wirelessly with your phone, TV, and other smart devices thanks to Bluetooth® connectivity. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be increased without feedback and noise.
Hearing aids, for many individuals, are a perfect extension to their other smart technology. In this modern world, hearing aids are incredibly useful and will help you enjoy activities like live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to mention the long-term benefits of hearing aids, which have been shown to help people keep (or recover) mental equity. Essentially, your brain health depends on you being capable of hearing clearly.
The sooner you manage your hearing loss, the more hearing you’re likely to keep over time. When you have hearing loss, your ears have a difficult time processing specific wavelengths and hearing aids are calibrated to fill in those missing frequencies. When you simply turn up the volume you don’t fill in the specific frequencies that are missing.
Getting treatment as soon as you start noticing hearing loss can help save your hearing, and knowing that will help persuade people like Ted to seek help.