Hearing impaired need a ‘Little Help from their Friends’ (Lyndi Hofstra)

When traveling in a foreign country, and nobody speaks your language, it becomes necessary for you to rely more on your obser¬vation senses, and still you may only understand 50% of what the other person is communicating to you. The other 50% you try to “fill in the blanks,” with what you think is going on.
This is sometimes the life of a hearing impaired person.

The deaf community will read lips and sign to each other. The hearing impaired try to use what¬ever hearing they have left, to communicate the best they can. These are sometimes separate communities with different com¬munication strategies.
The hearing impaired will go to a theater, and the audience is laughing and they have no idea why. This happens in many group settings, and hearing impaired people will smile or chuckle to mask their discomfort of not un¬derstanding.

Hearing impaired people start to select friends who are sensitive to their situation. Their friends have to be willing to speak louder and clearer, and willing to repeat themselves without getting frus¬trated or angry.

Despite being hearing impaired, many continue social and group activities. They arrive at seminars or church, 30 minutes early to get that front seat. They might domi¬nate conversations in order to con¬trol what is being said, or avoid talking on the phone by e-mail¬ing, texting or not answering the phone. In the back of their mind, there is always the fear of asking a question that has already been asked or answered, or mix up/miss words. Other people might think it’s funny, but it can embarrass the hearing impaired.

Please don’t feel sorry or avoid hearing impaired people. They are grateful for the hear¬ing ability they still have. They simply need “a little help from their friends.”

That “little help” can also come from hearing aids. Dr. Frank Lin, assistant Professor of Otalarxn¬gology and Epidemiology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine says, “the big problem with hearing loss is that people assume it’s an un¬avoidable part of ageing and don’t seek medical help. The loss comes on very slowly and when it hap¬pens, it’s easy to ignore, because people have become accustomed to it. Anyone who suspects they have any type of hearing loss, or are constantly being told by their families that they aren’t listen¬ing, should consider a consultation with a hearing specialist.”
Dr. Lin goes on to say “If it’s confirmed, you should really get treated. Hearing aids have proved to be a no-risk treatment. It has been clearly established that hear¬ing aids can only help and not hurt.”

A study in Archives of Internal Medicine found 1 in 5 Americans have a hearing loss. If you think you’re in this group, get an evalu¬ation from a hearing specialist. They may have options available to make your life easier through better hearing.