By now we have all packed off the family back to work, school or their own homes revealing that some have not been as involved as they were last year.
The holidays are a time to gather together with family and friends but they can be bittersweet for many – especially those with unaddressed hearing difficulty, which can lead to fatigue, isolation and depression, even when surrounded by loved ones.
Less than perfect hearing occurs at all ages. There is increasing evidence that certain medical conditions, such as diabetes, Alzheimers, kidney & heart disease and even loss of vision can lead to an increased loss of hearing.
Loved ones play a crucial role in whether someone has their hearing checked and helped.
More than 50% of people who successfully use hearing aids say that their close family or friends were the first to notice the difficulty and the catalyst to addressing the situation.
Studies confirm that people who seek help experience significant improvements in quality of life and their functional health status improves significantly after wearing hearing aids for just 12 weeks.
There are several social and emotional signs to look out for in those around you or yourself.
Social
Things need by be repeated several times
Having difficulty in following conversations involving more than 2 people
Think that people sound muffled or that they’re mumbling
Find it harder to hear well in noisy situations, like restaurants, shopping centres or crowded rooms
Have difficulty understanding women and children
Have the TV or radio turned up to a higher volume
Answer or respond inappropriately
Have a ringing in the ears
Emotional
Feel stressed from straining to hear what others or saying
Feel annoyed at other people because they can’t be heard easily
Feel uncomfortable to meet new people
Feel nervous about trying to hear and understand
Withdraw some some situations
If these signs are familiar we urge you to encourage someone to seek our help. If this sounds like you then call or email to speak to one of our friendly resident staff who will be happy to chat through your experiences and offer you the solution to these everyday hearing challenges.
