Football games with Ted are the worst. He has the volume cranked up so loud the walls rattle, and you surely can’t tune in to the game. All you notice is the roar of the crowd pounding against your body, punctuated by the ear-shattering staccato of the announcer’s play-by-play calls.
It isn’t in any way enjoyable. But the volume sounds fine for Ted. He needs the TV to be extremely loud so he can hear it, which makes it pretty obvious he needs a hearing aid. How to discuss this with him is the problem. His sensitivity about the topic makes what should be a simple conversation a lot more difficult.
The following are several tips that might help.
You Can Suggest he Gets a Simple Hearing Exam
Ted needs a specialist to inform him about his hearing. Other people might not seem as credible when they tell him about it. In that situation, the trick will be getting Ted (or anyone like him) to come see us.
You might be able to do that by using one of the following strategies:
- Stress that he’ll only be having a simple assessment. In most cases, hearing screenings are quick and easy. His hearing will be broken down by frequency on an audiogram. We can clarify what the results mean.
- Suggest the two of you go together for back-to-back screenings. This can make beginning the dialogue easier. You might find out that you also have some level of hearing loss (it could depend on how long you’ve been exposed to a high-volume sound).
Talk About Behaviors Associated With Hearing Loss
Hearing loss is frequently indiscernible because it advances so gradually. Specific subconscious behaviors often develop when this happens. You can hint in a discreet way that Ted needs a hearing aid by putting attention on these behaviors.
Try something like the following:
- Point out that you’ve noticed how frequently you’re “translating” for him. It might happen like this: your friend says something at breakfast, Ted doesn’t hear or understand it, and you have to repeat what they said to Ted because you’re closer to him.
- Remind Him that he’s not using the phone as much as he used to because he has a hard time hearing what his friends are saying on the other end.
- Informing him that his family has observed him struggling to hear. Every year it seems like fewer and fewer people are going over to see the Big Game and that could be because the TV is turned up so loud.
The goal during these discussions is to keep your discussion centered on these behaviors rather than the ailment. Instead of talking about how Ted is experiencing hearing loss, point out how his hearing loss impacts people in his life.
Emphasize The Technology in Modern Hearing Aids
Antiquated ideas of how a hearing aid impacts your appearance and what hearing aids do, in some circumstances, results in reluctance to use one. It might not be a bad idea to emphasize the innovative technology employed by modern hearing aids.
The following are some examples:
- The technology of modern hearing aids is quite advanced. Thanks to connectivity, for example, your hearing aids will pair easily with your phone or even your television speakers. With this tech, the volume of your devices will be amplified without feedback and noise.
- Typically, modern hearing aids are so small you can’t even see them. And, modern hearing aids are also comfortable to wear. They’re not bulky like they once were. They won’t even be noticed by most people.
- Some hearing aids can even track your health and fitness biometrics and render them in real time as well as other additional features.
For many individuals, hearing aids feel like an extension of their smartphones or tablets. In this modern world, hearing aids are extremely practical and will help you enjoy activities like live streaming.
Highlight The Long-Term Advantages
Lastly, it’s worth taking time to point out the long-term benefits of hearing aids, which have been shown to help people keep (or recover) their cognitive faculties. In other words, your brain health depends on you being capable of hearing clearly.
You will keep more of your hearing undamaged in the long run if you manage your hearing loss as soon as you can. Hearing aids are calibrated specifically to fill in the sound wavelengths which your ears have a difficult time discerning. When you simply turn up the volume you don’t fill in the particular frequencies that are missing.
Understanding that your hearing can be preserved by getting treatment when you first notice signs of hearing impairment will help people like Ted feel comfortable seeking the help they need.