Imagine if you awoke one day and realized that you could no longer hear your favorite songs, the sound of your grandchildren laughing, the nuances of your regular tv shows, or even inside jokes shared with your closest friends. Many of our loved ones start to experience this as they age, and it can cause them tremendous sadness and a feeling of loss. As hearing loss can come on slowly, they may not even be able to pinpoint why they feel so isolated and lonely.

Approximately one in three older adults have some level of hearing loss but many don’t want to admit it, even to their loved ones. However, when someone can’t hear well, they tend to withdraw from communications, to become depressed, and to self-isolate.

• An inability to accurately understand conversations over the phone, or an avoidance of talking on the phone altogether.
• Stress when trying to follow a conversation where two or more people are involved.
• Asking people to repeat what they are saying multiple times.
• Turning up the volume on TV or music to levels that cause others to complain.
• Withdrawal from loud social occasions.
• Complaints from your loved one that others mumble.
• More difficulty in hearing women and children. The most common level of hearing loss is in the higher registers.
• Their own speech becomes more mumbled or incoherent.

Source: National Institute on Aging

How to Speak with Someone who is Hearing Challenged

• Choose places to talk where there is minimal background noise.
• Make sure to include your loved one in group conversations when they might be inclined to withdraw.
• Stand in good lighting and use facial expressions and gestures to help give context to what you’re saying.
• Face the person and speak clearly.
• Speak a little louder but don’t yell or enunciate abnormally.
• Do not hide your mouth, eat or chew gum while speaking.
• If you need to repeat yourself, use different words to express the same message.
• Be patient and positive.
• It is not rude to ask your loved one what might help them hear you better. Sometimes one ear hears better, or they read lips or a certain tone or volume works best for them.

Source: National Institute on Aging

Indications of Hearing Loss

One of the first indications of hearing loss might be tinnitus, or a ringing in the ears. If your loved one starts to complain about ringing, buzzing, hissing, or bells that no one else can hear, this may be what they are experiencing. While this is an early indicator of hearing loss, it can also be a sign of health problems such as high blood pressure, allergies or medication side effects. While it may seem a small complaint, it is certainly worth bringing to the attention of your loved one’s health team.

Causes of Hearing Loss

In addition to the types of hearing loss that come with age, there are also other health conditions or medications that can contribute to the challenges.

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Ear infections
• Viruses
• Heart conditions
• Stroke
• Brain injury
• Some medications that treat infections, cancer, and heart disease
• Some antibiotics
• Potentially aspirin at higher dosages