New Year's Resolutions for Hard of Hearing People

This article is great! It mentions there are some great articles the author recommends but doesn't list them. I am 41 and started to lose my hearing about 10 years ago, reason unknown. My hearing aids help a lot, but I still struggle to hear. It's especially hard to hear my husband as our 3 young kids make a lot of noise! I'm also struggling when taking my kids to doctor's appointments to hear the staff wearing masks. I could use some advice on how to cope with this and the exhaustion from straining to hear. Thanks! -Sarah

I use Otter in situations like this. I have found it to be very helpful.

@shenderson52 Hi Sarah, Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. There is a lot to learn about adult onset hearing loss, and much of it is learned from those of us who experience it ourselves. It's more than a medical condition. It also affects the people we love; our friends and family members, our employment and our own self image. Know that you are not alone as there are over 15 million Americans dealing with hearing loss.

There is a lot of technology available today that wasn't there a decade ago. For example, there are speech to text apps that can be used with a smart phone when in difficult conversations. That might help at those doctor's appointments.

I've found that many doctors are willing to go the extra mile to help you at appointments. They want to know you are getting the important information they are sharing. YOU have to tell them about your hearing loss so they know they have to take those extra steps.

Do you tell those doctors about your hearing loss and difficulty hearing them?

Hi! Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment! I am much better about telling people about my hearing loss now than I was when it first started. The doctors have been great, but other staff, have been clearly annoyed when I ask them to please speak up or repeat themselves. This happened just last week when I took my 2 year old for surgery and the person who does check in/billing was rolling her eyes and sighing loudly. I considered sending my husband but knew my little one would want me. I recently saw my ENT, who told me I'm not at a point yet to consider the hearing implants. It's great to find this support page!

Thank you! I will check it out. This is so helpful to know!

Glad we can be of help. Do you know if there is a chapter of The Hearing Loss Assn. of America in your area? http://www.hearingloss.org (HLAA) I was about your age when I discovered this incredible organization. Just meeting others like me, with adult onset hearing loss, a small child, etc. was so helpful.

HLAA has chapters in most states. Most of them are currently meeting on Zoom, rather than in person, but people are finding that works pretty well. We have 4 chapters in Wisconsin. Anyone interested in joining us via Zoom is welcome. That's the advantage of videoconferencing; you can chime in from wherever you are.

National HLAA has a committee working on the issue you describe. We all know that medical staff are grossly uninformed about how to work with their hard of hearing patients. This is a work in progress, but an important one. Medical personnel get very little training in this area, even at the MD level. We are pretty much the people who have to go after them. We also have to be assertive in letting them know what we need from them.

Communication access technology should be installed in all reception areas. It's actually a mandate of the American's with Disabilities Act. Problem is: They don't enforce it unless the people who need it ask for it. We are way too invisible, and too many work hard to hide their hearing loss instead of openly advocating for access.

Do you have telecoils in your hearing aids? If so, so you use them? Do you know what a hearing loop is?

@shenderson52

This is very long but Welcome to the club! You will find that @julieo4
is a valuable resource when it comes to coping with hearing loss. I use Live Transcribe almost exclusively on my Android phone (you don’t always need to have wi if on) and Otter if Live Transcribe is not working properly. Otter has 600 hundred monthly free minutes and there is another plan that you pay for. I found Otter to be one of the best apps around for both both Android and IPhones.

I routinely go to an eye clinic for eye injections. Several years ago I printed out a sign that says…Patient has hearing loss, may not hear name called. Please bring this with you when you call my name and then I put my name on it. I printed it on vibrant yellow construction paper . I give it to the check in person and ask them to put it on top of my chart. Most times they just come out with the notice and I know it’s for me…eliminates the stress (especially with masks) of trying the listen for my name. When I am with the doctor I use the phone app.
I’m good at one on one conversations but the masks make things so difficult.

Before the masks, I used the apps as a backup and informed the person speaking to me (wherever I was) that I was “hard of hearing “ which is familiar phrase for most people, and I needed to see them in order to understand. Always have a smile on your face when you do that. If anyone dared to role their eyes at me, I would let them know firmly that it wasn’t my fault that I had a hearing loss, but if they could just be patient and face me, we could get along fine.

What I find extremely helpful is not having someone repeat the entire conversation back to you if you did not get it. Repeat to them what you did hear and ask them to fill in. For example, a friend said “We are going to McGintys pub for lunch” You could say..”We are going where for lunch?”

You may find sometimes that you are mispronouncing certain words…someone’s name or the name of a business…a non familiar word. Anyone who laughs or makes fun should be taken to task, gently and with a smile. Again, your hearing loss is not your fault and your hearing is not selective as some people might suggest. There are days and situations when you hear better than other times. Don’t ever let someone say “Never mind” . It’s dismissive of you as a person. Another tip…position yourself where it is more advantageous for you….for example, in a restaurant…try a booth and see if you can get your back to a wall or some sort of sound barrier and don’t face a window. You’ll find you are relying a lot on “lip reading “ (I call it speech reading).

I’m saying these things to you because, in the beginning, you will need to advocate strongly for yourself until it becomes an easy habit for you…and it will. You need to get your children and husband involved (and extended family) in your hearing strategies.

You will find most people kind and sympathetic in your day to day life but there will always be stupid questions and brush offs. Once, when I was traveling by myself, I let the agent at the front desk know I would not be able to hear any announcements. She asked if I needed a wheelchair. I just smiled but she let me on with the handicapped passengers. Take any help when it occurs..it is an invisible “handicap”.

You need to concentrate on what the speaker is saying without distractions and having young children around is a definite challenge. I find that younger people are always more amenable to helping you because they usually have a parent or grandparent who has hearing loss and understand more.

My hearing loss started in my mid forties, gradually, and I am now 80 (good grief) so I, with many others here, know a heck of a lot what to do in most situations. Make sure you are eating well as you want to keep your ears healthy and the blood flowing freely and try not to take Ototoxic drugs too much like ibuprofens.

I think this is enough for now lol.

FL Mary

In Oregon, many places now require N95 masks. When I first heard this, I was upset because all the N95s I had seen relied on elastic behind the ears, but, check out N95s on Amazon: there are quite a few "real" N95s with straps over the back of your head/neck. I ordered a batch of them, but they won't be delivered for another week or so.

@joyces Thank you for sharing that. Amazon always delivers products so quickly. This week + wait indicates there is a run on those masks. Hard to get. Probably worth ordering a few of them as they are not available anywhere here; nor are the rapid tests,.

I just recently got hearing aids and I agree...they are a pain when wearing a mask, too and sunglasses! I worry, like you, that I will lose a hearing aid (and they are not cheap!) and just too much behind the ears. I will wear all three when running errands but I find it much more comfortable staying home.