1. What Did You Say?
People who have poor hearing can improve their quality of life by being upfront about their problem. Let new people know that you have difficulty hearing, and face them when they are speaking so you can lip read. Minimize background noise in a restaurant by asking for a booth instead of a table, and ask to see a written list of daily specials. If you're in a social situation or at a party with loud background music, engage in conversation outside, away from the music. By being honest about your hearing loss, you can avoid misconceptions about why you ask someone to repeat themselves. If you're too embarrassed or proud to admit you suffer from hearing loss, people may think you're inattentive, bored or spacey if you don't hear them the first time.
2. Turn It Up
Hearing aids consist of a microphone to pick up sounds, along with a tiny amplifier that you can adjust depending on the model. Some people only have trouble hearing high-pitched frequencies while others only have problems deciphering soft or mumbled speech. Your doctor or a representative from the hearing aid manufacturer must fit hearing aids for you accordingly. Hearing aids can be implanted or placed directly in the ear canal. In some cases, a headphone and volume control that's worn on a belt can be used as an inexpensive substitute for a hearing aid, usually by elderly people.
3. Lend Me a Bionic Ear
Severe hearing loss can be improved with a cochlear implant (CI). In extreme cases, doctors can surgically implant an electronic device can in one ear of a person with profound sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. When the inner ear or cranial nerve has sustained serious damage, and the candidate has good health otherwise, doctors place a small "bionic" device in the skin under the ear. The CI contains a tiny microphone, speech processor that filters sound, and electrodes in the cochlea that send sound to the auditory nerve.
4. Go On High Alert
If cochlear implants are too impractical or expensive and hearing aids fail, the hard of hearing benefit from a host of other services. TTY (text telephones) displays the caller's words on a screen attached to the phone. Most television programs have closed captioning, or text that runs along the bottom of the screen. Most DVDs and video include this option on their menu screens. Most hard of hearing folks can learn to distinguish the way the lips look when a speaker makes certain sounds. Flashing alert lights help hearing challenged folks know when the doorbell rings or when a smoke alarm buzzes.
5. Get Assistance
Modern technology has made it possible for the hearing impaired to enjoy music, public speakers and entertainment by using amplification devices at concerts, worship services, movie theaters and other public events. The use of assistive devices makes it easier than ever to cope with hearing loss.
