Things I Wish My Friends Knew About Hearing Loss

If you have hearing loss, you know it’s hard to explain it to someone else. They just don’t understand how it’s difficult for you to follow conversations, or that you get confused when there’s a lot of background noise. The American Speech and Hearing Association (ASHA) get it. In fact, for over 75 years they’ve recognized May as Better Hearing and Speech Month, a time to raise awareness around communication disorders, reduce stigma, and foster understanding and support.

Helen Keller said her inability to hear was the hardest disability to live with. While lacking sight separated her from her environment, not being able to communicate separated her from people. This year, the theme of the month is Communication: The Key to Connection, and the ASHA is working to increase public awareness around impairments that affect hearing, speech, language, and voice that affect both young and old in our society. Learn more at https://www.asha.org/.

Hearing Loss Makes Me Exhausted

Perhaps one of the hardest things to explain about hearing loss is how easily you get tired. Sounds are fuzzy, loud noises make your head hurt, and you’re just exhausted after a long conversation. Even though you look fine on the outside, you’re constantly straining to hear every word, and make sense of the sounds coming at you from all sides. Hearing loss leaves you guessing, filling in the blanks, and trying to follow conversations with half the words missing. All this extra processing leaves your brain worn-out, and you wish your friends could understand how tired your sometimes are.

I’m Not Being Rude, I Just Can’t Hear You

With hearing loss, you might not hear everything the first time. If someone calls you from another room, you may not hear what they’ve said. If you don’t respond, it’s because you didn’t hear them, not because you’re ignoring them or don’t want to talk. Your loved ones need to be patient with you and not get upset.

Sometimes you might answer questions inappropriately, or totally miss the punchline of a funny joke. This doesn’t mean you’re stupid, just that you misheard what was said. You’d like your friends to know you’re trying your best, and sometimes just need to hear it one more time.

I Still Have a Voice

With hearing loss, it’s easy to get overlooked. At restaurants for example, your friends might be in the habit of ordering for you, or answering questions about how you’d like the food. Just because you have hearing loss doesn’t mean you don’t understand what is happening, or don’t have an opinion about how you’d like your toast. Rather than answering the question for you, your loved ones should simply repeat the question, and give you the opportunity to answer for yourself. When they answer for you, it makes you feel embarrassed or incompetent.

How to Help Me Hear

Hearing loss is frustrating for everyone, both for the friends who must repeat themselves several times and for you as you struggle to understand. The key to communication is patience and understanding.

For those with hearing loss, a few little tricks can make all the difference between a frustrating interaction or clear communication. Always face the person with hearing loss, and keep your hands away from your face. This leaves your face and lips visible, and leads to better understanding. Never yell from another room, and make sure you have their attention before you start speaking. Louder isn’t always better, and yelling won’t help if you’re still speaking very fast or excitedly. Just speak slowly and clearly, and repeat a word or two whenever it’s necessary.

What to do If You Have Hearing Loss

Not only is May about raising awareness around hearing loss, it’s also a time to seek treatment. If you’re tired of explaining hearing loss to your friends, and exhausted from straining to hear, it’s time to get hearing aids. Say goodbye to exhaustion and confusion, and get back to hearing clearly, communicating effectively, and connecting with the people who matter most in your life.

At Orange County Physicians’ Hearing Services, we’re dedicated to finding the hearing solution that will match your needs and lifestyle. With five locations to serve you better, our team of audiologists provide quality care and leading hearing technology to take the stress out of hearing loss.