Hearing loss is a concern for me. I suffer from hearing issues due to having small ear canals. Although my issues don’t involve my having to wear a hearing aid at this point, my hearing is impaired during some periods in between my visits to my ENT. I have to have a procedure done every three months to free my impacted ear canals and ear drums, and I experience a wonderful month-long period of freedom where I can hear everything perfectly. I don’t know what impact this will have on my long-term hearing ability. Thankfully, there are solutions should I develop permanent hearing loss from my condition.
Hearing Issues
Although you might think that it will never happen to you, hearing loss is one of the most common health changes that can affect us as we age. Roughly 13% of all people over the age of 12 live with some kind of hearing issues. If you’re worried you might have it or have been recently diagnosed or recommended to an audiologist, what can you do about it?
The right hearing aids
The first step when it comes to dealing with most types of hearing loss is to choose a hearing aid. There are some cases a hearing aid might not be the right choice, but for the majority, there are many types that can help. This includes discreet hearing aids, those that come with all kinds of noise reduction features, and rechargeable hearing aids so that you can charge them on the go rather than having to buy batteries. An audiologist can help you determine the best options that suit you.
The necessary accessories
The hearing aid may be the device you rely on primarily when it comes to helping you deal with any hearing issues. However, there are a host of accessories that can help you better use your hearing aid to make it even more effective. Popular accessories for hearing aids can include microphones that allow you to better pick up speech, remote controls that let you change settings without having to take the device out, and TV transmitters that allow you to connect directly to TV sound output. I’d suggest talking with your hearing health professional about which accessories might help you get the best use of your hearing aid.
Helpful apps
The future of hearing assistive technologies is a lot more digital. Already, a lot of hearing aids come with apps that let you configure settings through your smartphone easily. However, there are apps for hearing impaired people that can do a lot more. For instance, there are transcription apps that can quickly turn speech into text, if you’re having trouble understanding someone during a conversation. There are also apps that allow you to connect to important contacts like emergency service providers without having to communicate verbally, as well.
Assistive technologies in the home
There are technologies you can use in the home that can help you live your life without having to rely quite as much on your sense of hearing. Assistive technology can include things like alarm clocks, doorbell signalers, smoke and fire alarms, and even baby cry signalers. These devices can add visual cues to appliances that normally alert the user by sound alone. As such, you can better enjoy a more independent life at home with the right alerting and assistive technologies.
The technology used to improve the lives of those with hearing issues has seen huge leaps of development over the past decade, meaning that you can enjoy much the same quality of life with the right selection of aids. Hopefully, the tips above help you find them.
Stay awesome!
Love,
Suzie
