What Are Your Options for Combating Hearing Loss?
It might start off by realizing you used to keep the volume on the television at an eight and now you need it at twelve in order to hear your favorite shows. Maybe you’ve had a few embarrassing moments when you realize you completely misunderstood what someone else said. Perhaps you find yourself asking the waitress to repeat herself three times and then giving up in embarrassment when you still didn’t make out what she said.
Hearing loss often starts out slowly. It’s easy to deny we’re experiencing it at all until we have no choice but to face the facts. Fortunately, times have changed. Society doesn’t put the same negative stigma on hearing loss or the need to wear hearing aids that once was present. There are many options available.
Your first step should be to schedule an appointment with an audiologist for a hearing test. Your primary care physician can offer you referrals. Make sure you check with your insurance company to ensure you follow the protocol for them to cover the appointment.
Once the hearing test confirms hearing loss has occurred, a treatment plan will be devised. Hearing aids are the most frequently suggested way to combat hearing loss. Modern hearing aids are small and discrete. They don’t interfere with everyday life and are nearly impossible for anyone else to notice.
Some hearing aids are worn completely inside the ear making them invisible to others. Digital, wireless and water-resistant models are available. There are dozens of brands of hearing aids and each has a long list of models. The hearing specialist will help you chose the right option for your unique situation.
Once you have chosen a hearing aid, the provider will then explain to you how to operate it. Understanding the care and maintenance the device requires is also important. Proper care extends the life of hearing aids and improves the quality of sound.
You may be able to purchase the supplies and accessories needed for care and maintenance at your audiologist’s office. These items are also widely available at drugstores and major retailers. You’ll need a case to store your hearing aids in when they aren’t in use. Extra batteries are an absolute necessity. You may wish to purchase special lotion to keep your ears from becoming dry or irritated.
It’s important to keep your hearing aids clean and dry. Complete cleaning kits can be purchased containing everything you need to do this. Items can also be bought individually. Humidifiers help with keeping devices dry. You don’t have to suffer with hearing loss. Help is out there. You can enjoy clear sound again.
Nancy Sideri is a licensed Hearing Instrument Dispenser and Aural Rehabilitation Specialist and has over 17 years experience working with hearing-impaired individuals. Nancy began her career as a Hearing Instrument Specialist in association with Starkey Laboratories, the world’s largest hearing aid manufacturer. Nancy specializes in expert testing and interpreting scores, appropriate instrument selection and level of technology that is best suited to fit personal lifestyle needs and is an industry leader in developing a personalized interactive aural rehabilitation program specifically designed to understand your unique loss characteristics, to help you achieve your “personal best” hearing solution with integrity and compassion.
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