Hearing Loss – What Can You do Do About It

A recent study by BBC revealed that nearly 10 million people in the UK have hearing problems. Often people tend to think that hearing problems are an inevitable part of aging. Although it is true that hearing ability does decline with age there are other factors too:-

• Noise Exposure
• Trauma
• Hereditary Factors
• Ear Disease

While there is nothing much you can do about hearing loss in the aged. There are things you can do if you experience hearing difficulty in the earlier years. It is important to bear in mind that it can have serious consequences if you ignore it.

What Impact Does Hearing Loss Have On A Person?

• Struggle to be a part of a conversation in public spaces like restaurants, pubs, gatherings etc
• Social isolation often leading to Depression
• Increased risk of cognitive decline or Dementia

There are a lot of hearing aids/devices available in the market to help people with hearing difficulty but the fact is that a lot of people are reluctant to wear them either because they don’t like the idea of moving around with a big device hanging around their ears or they are unaware or ignorant of the fact that they need help with hearing. There are certain signs and symptoms which tell you that you have a hearing problem and need immediate attention.

Apart from hearing aids, there are other things that you can do to improve the situation and converse better

• Have eye contact with the person you are having a conversation with: This improves concentration and can help you understand what the other person is trying to tell you.
• Make sure there is sufficient light so you can see the person clearly
• Learn to Lip-read: This is a special skill that helps you study the lip movements of the person and understand what he/she is trying to say.

So while there is no direct cure for an age-related hearing loss there are treatments/aids available for hearing loss which can improve the situation and prevent future problems.