Things People with Hearing Loss Wish Others Understood

When you have hearing loss, there are always things you wish you could explain to your hearing friends. We get it. Struggling with hearing loss is enough of a challenge without trying to make your family and friends understand what you’re going through. Since hearing loss is an invisible disability, it’s hard for your loved ones to understand the exhaustion you feel after a night out with friends, or what it’s like to try to piece together meaning in a conversation you can’t quite hear. Whether or not your loved ones fully understand what it feels like to live with hearing loss, it’s true that you struggle every day, and this impacts your life. Here are a few of the things we wish everyone understood about hearing loss.

Regardless of the day, whether it’s a normal Tuesday at the office or a Saturday afternoon at your granddaughter’s birthday party, straining to hear is always exhausting. Unlike others who hear everything without even thinking, those with hearing loss struggle to hear what’s being said. So much energy goes into hearing the words that often the meaning behind the sentence is lost in a complicated guessing game of fill-in-the-blanks. Without any extra time for processing, some things just fall through the cracks, and you’re left with a blank look on your face. You want your friends to be patient, and be willing to repeat a sentence or two every now and then.

Scrambling to make sense of the endless stream of words, those living with hearing loss don’t always make the right guess when they’re deciphering what’s been said. Sometimes they’ll answer a question inappropriately, or miss the punch-line of a joke, but it’s not because they’re stupid. They’ve just misheard what was said, and need to hear it one more time.

When you bump into friends at the store and don’t hear their polite hello, you wish your friends wouldn’t assume you’re ignoring them. You didn’t hear them the first time, but would have loved to say hi.

Hearing aids can transform lives, giving you the ability to communicate clearly and participate in every aspect of life. But don’t assume that hearing aids work like glasses. While glasses can alter blurry images and leave you seeing clearly, ears work a bit differently. Cells in the inner ear and in the brain have been damaged, and hearing aids can’t fix that. Hearing aids can amplify sounds, block background sounds, and help your healthy cells pick up all the sounds around you. This will change your life, but your hearing can never be as good as it was when you were 17.

Just because you aren’t as quick on the uptake as those with normal hearing doesn’t mean you don’t have just as many opinions as everyone else. Struggling with hearing loss is hard enough without being treated like a child. Never talk for someone with hearing loss, but let them speak for themselves. At a restaurant with friends, for example, you wish your friends would give you an extra minute to order, and let you hear the specials one more time rather than jumping in and ordering the salmon for you. Or perhaps you didn’t hear a question asked from the other end of the table. You want your friends to be patient, repeat the question, and let you speak for yourself.

If you have a friend with hearing loss, understand that it’s frustrating for everyone. However, there are a few ways you can help. To communicate effectively, always be patient and understanding. Be sure to speak slowly and clearly, and repeat yourself if necessary. Face your loved one directly so they can read your facial expressions and other non-verbal cues, and always get their attention before speaking. Never yell from another room. Louder isn’t always better, try slower instead.

If you’re fighting hearing loss, you’re not alone. Thirty-seven million Americans face hearing loss, and struggle every day to communicate with friends and loved ones. If you want to make a positive change, get back to hearing, and have energy left for the more important things in life, visit the My Hearing Centers location nearest you to find your perfect hearing device.