Health Blog

Hearing loss is second only to arthritis as the most common complaint of older adults. About 24 million people age 65 or older have some degree of hearing loss. This can be frustrating — both for the person with the hearing problem and the person he or she wants to communicate with.
If you, or a family member or friend, strains to hear conversations, the television or the phone, call your healthcare provider for a physical. Hearing loss does not have to isolate you from friends or loved ones.

If you have hearing loss, practice techniques that can help you understand conversations better. For instance, it helps to face the person with whom you are talking. Try to remain between 3 and 6 feet from the other person, the ideal distance for comprehension. And if you do not understand what someone has said, ask him or her to rephrase the statement.

If you are talking to a person with hearing loss, use these pointers to ease communication:

Avoid eating, chewing gum or smoking while talking. Speak at a slightly louder than normal tone. Speaking clearly usually is more effective than speaking loudly. Use body language and gestures to help convey your message.

Make sure the person you wish to talk with is wearing appropriate hearing aids and/or glasses before you start talking.
If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with hearing loss, try to be patient. You will both need to give yourselves some time to learn these techniques.

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