Explain What They Risk By Waiting
On average, people with hearing loss wait over seven years before they visit a hearing healthcare professional in order to address it. This is not a good idea.
Untreated hearing loss has been linked to several other health concerns like heart disease, dementia, and depression. Plus, a persons quality of life often worsens when they cant fully engage in the world around them relationships are strained, feelings of isolation set in, and earning power may even decrease.
Its also important to note that in almost all cases, untreated hearing loss worsens over time. And once your hearing is gone, it can never be restored. Whats more, in regard to hearing and speech recognition, if you dont use it, you lose it. When your brain becomes accustomed to not fully processing words and sounds, it loses its ability to do so. Research also shows that untreated hearing loss actually causes brain tissue to shrink.
Hopefully, explaining these risks to your loved one will create a sense of urgency, and theyll decide to make an appointment.
Slows Down Hearing Deterioration
Hearing aids ensure that sounds are heard and the brain receives the signals that ones hearing is up to the mark. This prevents further deterioration of their hearing over the course of time. It will also keep their brain fit and reduce the risk of cognitive decline.
Not wearing hearing aids could potentially slow down ones hearing deterioration it is important to give stimulation to the auditory system and to the brain.
Why Do People Choose Not To Wear Hearing Aids
Some people refuse to wear hearing aids because they believe these apparatuses to be too expensive. Others dislike how hearing aids look, while others claim their hearing loss is manageable without one. Some people who have tried wearing hearing aids say that using them is unwieldyat most, they are willing to use them sometimes.
It is crucial for family and loved ones of persons wearing hearing aids to be supportive and open them to a discussion instead of badgering them to get themselves fitted for one. Most of these reasons stem from anxiety, so combating it with facts would help. Here are things you could do to convince your older loved one to start wearing a hearing aid.
You May Like: How To Dry Out Hearing Aids
Parent Refuses To Get Hearing Aids: How Can You Get Them To Wear One
Does this story sound familiar to you?
Hey dad, can you hear me? Im trying to tell you something important.
What is it? He shouts back, cupping his hand around his ear.
I think you should get a hearing aid.
Nonsense! I dont need one of those things. Im just a little hard of hearing, thats all.
His daughter knows hes not fooling anyone, especially her. Shes been taking care of him for a long time and she can see how much harder its getting for him to hear. But even though she makes a good case, her dad still refuses to get a hearing aid.
She sees him having problems at family gatherings. Her dad cant hear her, so she has to yell. Or he pretends he cant hear her and pretends everything is fine. Its frustrating for both of them. It would be for any family member!
But she knows that the use of hearing aids can be a good thing and help to improve the quality of life for her father and the whole family so she keeps trying to convince him.
Explain Your Worries Relating To Their Health
When hearing loss is left untreated, a person’s brain can become affected, and this could lead to such medical conditions as depression and dementia. So, pick up a few brochures or bookmark a few sites online to explain these conditions to your partner, and let them know the risks that they are putting themselves under.
Recommended Reading: Can Dehydration Cause Ringing In The Ears
Explain The Range Of Options
There isnt just one type of hearing aid there are several. Explaining that there are different types may convince them that hearing aids are the way to go. There are ones that sit in the ear, behind the ear and in the canal and its usually possible to select from all the different options to find the right one.
Can Hearing Loss Heal Itself
There is some debate surrounding whether or not hearing loss can heal itself, but there is growing evidence that it can in fact be done. The most common reason for hearing loss is an injury, such as a car accident or a fall, but there are many other causes as well. If you have a hearing loss, there are a few things you can do to try to reduce the likelihood of it happening again. First, make sure you are wearing a hearing protection device every time you are outside. Second, try to keep your hearing ashealthy as you can. There are many foods and activities that can help to improve your hearing, including listening to music and talking on the phone with a hearing aid. Third, make sure you are getting regular checkedups to make sure you are not getting any other health problems that could cause your hearing loss. Finally, if you are feeling any signs of hearing loss, please see your doctor.
Don’t Miss: Will The Va Pay For Hearing Aids
Be Empathetic And Loving
First, try and put yourself in their shoes. After all, many years down the road, you may be the one on the receiving end of this difficult conversation with your loved ones. You want them to get help for their hearing loss because you want the best for them. Dont lose sight of your good intentions if the conversation isnt going the way you hoped. Now more than ever it’s important to know these communication tips for talking to people with hearing loss.
Go Through Different Types Of Hearing Aids With Them
Besides benefits, you might also want to consider the type or style of hearing aid. There are ITE or in-the-ear hearing aids, which come in two types. One fills the outer ear, while the other fills only the lower part of the ear. Another hearing aid is ITC or in-the-canal aids, custom appliances that you can barely see because they fit inside the ear. There are also CIC or completely-in-the-canal hearing aids, the least visible option. Finally, BTE or behind-the-ear is the most traditional style.
Also Check: Can A Hearing Aid Reduce Tinnitus
Centre For Hearing: Trusted Partner For Hearing Loss Treatment
The loss of hearing is a daunting experience and it is imperative to have experts to analyse it before reaching to any conclusions. Just buying hearing aids is not the only solution.
The market is flooded with a variety of hearing aids with varying prices and it can be a daunting task to choose the right one. Before choosing the hearing aid there are multiple diagnostic tests that are necessary to determine the right steps to enable hearing.
Centre for Hearing is an association of leading hearing care professionals across the country who have come together to promote awareness among consumers and to promote professionalism and good practices amongst dispensers.
Centre For Hearing is your partner in the entire journey in dealing with hearing loss, right from
- Where to start
- What solution might be required
- Where to get the solution
- What you should pay for the right solution
- The care and maintenance of your hearing
Those Who Avoid Getting A Hearing Aid
According to the International Journal of Audiology, 80% of adults aged between 55-74 who would be benefit from getting a hearing aid fitted choose not to. It can be hard to admit that your hearing is damaged and a lot of people tend to have a viewpoint that hearing aids in general put you at some sort of disadvantage. Whether thats the visual appearance of a hearing aid or perhaps the potential embarrassment of how some people might react to the person having one.
Price can also be a key factor in whether or not they choose to buy new hearing aids. It might be the affordability of the device and the difficulty that can be faced when it comes to getting the programming right. This might result in having to visit an audiologist a few times before its perfect.
Regardless of the above though, there are so many benefits to your loved ones getting a hearing aid if its beneficial for them and here are a few ways to help persuade them to wear one.
Recommended Reading: Is It Ok To Swim With An Ear Infection
How To Convince A Loved One To Get A Hearing Aid
Richard E. Carmen, AuD
Richard E. Carmen, AuD, an audiologist who practiced in Los Angeles for 20 years and in Sedona, Arizona, for 16 years. He has held several national board posts and counseled thousands of patients on the ways hearing loss affects relationships. He is editor, coauthor or author of several books, including editor of The Consumer Handbook on Hearing Loss & Hearing Aids, and author of How Hearing Loss Impacts Relationships: Motivating Your Loved One .
Sign up to be a Bottom Line Insider today!
Get The Latest Health, Life & Money Trends
About 36 million Americans suffer from hearing lossbut only one in five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one.
How does untreated hearing loss affect the sufferers loved ones? Over time, it can seriously straineven destroya marriage or parent-child relationship due, for example, to misunderstandings and frayed nerves in the person who must constantly repeat himself/herself. Fortunately, you can motivate your loved one to take action
MORE THAN JUST HEARING LOSS
Understanding the full extent to which hearing loss impacts your loved one will strengthen your resolve to motivate him to get treatment. The psychological effects are huge. People with untreated hearing loss tend to become withdrawn and are significantly more prone to depression and anxiety than those with adequate hearing. Anger, confusion, discouragement, loss of self-esteem and shame often occur as well.
BREAKING THROUGH DENIAL
How Do I Convince My Incredibly Stubborn Father To Replace His Hearing Aids
His current hearing aids stopped working so he stopped wearing them. His solution is to just not hear or have very loud conversations. He’s anti social to begin with and this is making it worse. My husband refuses to have a conversation while yelling but misses conversing with him. How do I convince him to re-engage with life instead of keeping to himself?
Read Also: Does Hydrogen Peroxide Dry Up Water In Ear
Get To Know Their Concerns
Weve already addressed a few of the common concerns that people have about getting a hearing aid fitted, but if you want to know how to best convince someone to take action, you should get to know their own direct concerns. For instance, if they are worried about how they look, then learning that there are highly discreet, invisible hearing aids could offer them some peace of mind.
Talk to your family member, let them know that you are there to listen to their concerns, and take them seriously. Dont just dismiss them out of hand, see if there are ways to work with them or solve them.
Misconceptions And Stereotypes About Hearing Aids
Hearing aids of old were noticeably larger than the sleeker versions of today, and they were often a visible sign of old age and frailty. Sometimes they didnt even work that well, leaving people to struggle with them and fiddle about to adjust levels so they could hear properly a battle that often ended in futility as the devices conked out, rendering the user frustrated and unable to hear a thing. Hearing aid batteries can be quite a put-off as well, as its an extra thing to worry about if one goes at an awkward time. And should you remove the aids to save battery power? What if you then lose them?
There are also the old stereotypes that hearing aids are either ugly, only for old people, dont work, are a visible sign that youre nearly deaf or as is often the case all four.
How to Counter:Modern hearing aids are small, powerful and are barely even noticeable. And as hearing loss affects people of all ages, not just the elderly, theyre for everyone, young and old, who is suffering from a degree of hearing impairment. If you think about the earbuds and AirPods many of us are walking around with all day to listen to our music and podcasts, wearing a hearing aid that may be much smaller is not all that unusual. One last, major improvement is that you dont need to worry about batteries anymore, as most hearing aids are now rechargeable. Simple and easy!
- Cost
- I Dont like How I Sound
- Im Too Old
Hearing aids can make a huge difference to your quality of life.
Recommended Reading: How To Get My Ears To Stop Ringing After Shooting
How To Convince Your Husband To Start Using Hearing Aids
If your husband suffers from hearing loss, rest assured he’s not alone. But if you’re having a hard time convincing him that he may be a candidate for hearing aids, you’re not alone, either. An estimated 40 million – or more – people in the United States suffer from hearing loss, but only one in five who would benefit from a hearing aid actually wears one.
Related Blog: Senior Hearing Loss: 10 Myths About Hearing Loss
There are a lot of reasons your husband may be reluctant to wear hearings aids, from denial , to vanity, to a lack of proper knowledge about hearing loss. Indeed, educating yourself about hearing loss is a great place to start when it comes to convincing your husband he could benefit from hearing aids.
Hearing Loss & DementiaRecent research at Johns Hopkins University and the National Institute on Aging showed a definite link between hearing loss and dementia. People who have even mild hearing loss had twice the risk of suffering dementia as those who don’t, while those with severe hearing loss were at five times a greater risk. Although it has not yet been established that hearing loss causes a decline in mental capacity, research like this provides a clear reason why your husband should consider hearing aids.
When To Talk To An Ear Nose Throat Specialist
How do you know when it is time to encourage your family member to talk to an Ear, Nose, Throat specialist about hearing loss? Have you noticed that the person is often asking others to speak up, they always turn up the volume too loud on the TV, or they withdraw from conversations because they cant understand the words? These are all signs of hearing loss.
When your family member is ready to schedule a hearing test, then you can get started by scheduling a visit with an ENT in the North Dallas area. Our team at Collin County Ear, Nose, and Throat is just a phone call away if you have questions about hearing loss. Reach out to schedule an appointment at one of our local offices in Frisco and Plano, TX:
When abnormal growth happens in the nose and sinuses, its a medical concern that can
We find our patients experiences the most rewarding part of the job. Without them, we wouldnt be one of the longest standing ENT practices in the area!
We consulted Dr Tseng based on our pediatrician’s recommendation. He’s so great a doctor who took time to explain us everything and genuinely guided us in the right direction. He’s such a caring, genuine and knowledgeable doctor. Oh how I wish there were more like him!
Hetal U.Stan B.
Dr. Matheny performed 2 surgeries on my wife, both were successful with great results. He is not only a great surgeon, but a great person. It was a pleasure working with him. One of the best doctors we have ever seen in our lives.
Mehrdad M.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Ringing In One Ear
Call Your Local Professional And Ask For Their Advice
The hearing healthcare professional in your area has helped a lot of patients, and many of them will have had the same objections and hesitations as your loved one has. Your professional might be able to offer some handy tips and talking points to help convince them.
Don’t let your family member miss out on the sounds that matter any longer. Contact the hearing care provider in your area today!
Go With Them And Have Your Hearing Tested Too
Hey, everybody needs an annual hearing test, right?
If your loved ones hearing loss has impacted you so much that you want to help them address it, chances are you understand the importance of seeing a hearing healthcare professional and acting on hearing loss early. Even if you dont think you have hearing loss yourself, you can never truly be sure until you get your hearing tested. Hearing loss happens over time, and you might not even notice it in the beginning.
If you go and get your hearing tested alongside your loved one, it might help your loved one feel more comfortable with the process. Plus, this will hopefully help them see that youre truly dedicated to their happiness and wellbeing.
Recommended Reading: What Causes Ear Pressure And Ringing
What Percentage Of People Over 70 Need A Hearing Aid
However, this is difficult. Only around 17 percent of Americans between the ages of 20 and 69 who require hearing aids actually utilize them. People over the age of 70 have a higher proportion, although it is only about 30 percent or so. Further reading: At what level of hearing loss does the use of a hearing aid become necessary?