Living with hearing loss can be challenging. Some situations are easier than others — it will be far easier to talk to one friend or family member in the quiet of your home than to try to have a conversation in a busy restaurant! It takes a lot of effort to hear, sometimes, and that can be very stressful. You may be tempted to avoid certain social situations and/or worry about your safety — if you can’t hear a fire alarm or police car’s siren, for example.
- Hearing aids may be an obvious choice for improving your hearing. However, they usually amplify ALL sounds — including background noises and your own voice. Getting used to a hearing aid can take some time.
- Listening devices can help you in specific situations. A telephone amplifier will make it easier to spend time on the phone with friends and family, or make important calls to the doctor’s office. Some assistive listening devices are available for classrooms or auditoriums or other public spaces. There are also some devices that connect directly to your television or stereo for your favorite shows and music.
- Closed captioning can help you catch what is going on during your favorite shows. A lot of newer televisions make it very easy to turn closed captioning on and off. I hear just fine and sometimes I like to keep the closed captioning on — especially during comedies where I may be laughing too hard to catch the next line.
- A text telephone may be an option if you have difficulty using the phone. Also known as a TTY or TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf), this phone lets you type and read messages, rather than talk and listen.
- You may feel more comfortable talking to friends and family with an online messaging program (like AOL Instant Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger) rather than making a phone call. And with the speed and ease of email, you can always send a letter!
- Alerting devices — like a flashing light or an extra-loud ringer — can help you hear the doorbell, telephone, and other sounds you might miss. They aren’t difficult to install and can help you catch important calls and visitors.
- Practice your speech reading — pay attention to gestures, facial expressions, tone of voice, and posture to help you understand what a person is saying, even if you don’t hear every word. Make sure the lighting is good when you are talking to someone, and face the person directly. This isn’t the same as lip-reading — this is using other clues to help you follow the conversation more closely.