10 Tips for Managing Hearing Loss

When you have hearing loss, it is so important that you take good care of your aural health. In many instances, it is possible to manage your hearing loss so that it does not have too significant an impact on you, and in some cases, it does not worsen over time.

With that in mind, here are our top tips for managing hearing loss:

1. See your audiologist regularly

If you are living with hearing loss, getting regular checkups is very important. Just like regular health and dental checkups, regular hearing health checks can help to catch any new issues fast and hopefully help you to maintain a high quality of life.

2. Take care of your hearing aids

If you have hearing aids, it’s important that you take the time to maintain them, regularly cleaning them and replacing the batteries to ensure they can work optimally for you.

3. See what your hearing aids can do

If you have modern hearing aids, they can be fine-tuned to a high degree and offer some amazing features that can be accessed via apps. Exploring exactly what your hearing aids can do will help you better manage your hearing loss and have a good experience.

4. Modify your behavior to optimize hearing

Simple things like moving to face the person you are speaking to or choosing to sit in a location where there is less noise are great ways to manage your hearing loss and feel more comfortable day-to-day.

5. Monitor for changes

Always be mindful of your hearing, and if you notice that your hearing loss is getting worse or you are experiencing new issues, seek help immediately; ignoring the problem is never a good idea.

6. Eat a healthy diet

Many people are surprised to find that eating a healthy diet can help with hearing loss, but any audiologist will tell you it can. Just take a look at this study, which shows that the right diet can reduce the risk of impaired hearing by as much as 30 percent.

7. Avoid loud noises

Limiting your exposure to loud noises is really important if you have hearing loss. Not only can they be very uncomfortable, but they can also make your hearing worse, so try to stay away from them if you can, and wear ear protectors when you can’t.

8. Talk about it

Talking about your hearing loss with loved ones, and maybe even a therapist if you feel the need, is really important. Hiding hearing loss is such a common experience, but it just leads to frustration all around, and by being open about it, you can get the help and support you need at what can be quite a distressing time.

9. Give it time

Many people, when they are diagnosed with hearing loss and fitted with hearing aids for the first time, find it difficult to adjust and they just want to give up. It’s important that you tell yourself getting used to hearing loss takes time and that you give yourself the compassion you need to get through the experience. Eventually, you will adjust to your new level of hearing, and things won’t be so hard; just remember that.

10. Remember you aren’t alone

If you are having a hard time coming to terms with your hearing loss, it’s also important to remember that you weren’t alone. Around 30 million people in the US alone have some degree of hearing loss, and most of them adapt very well to their circumstances, It can feel lonely when you start to lose your hearing and you can’t communicate effectively as you once did, but this is not a unique experience, and your audiologist can work with you to find a solution that will minimize the impact your hearing loss has on your everyday life.

Managing hearing loss, as you can see, requires a holistic approach. You need to be very proactive about monitoring your hearing and seeing the audiologist where necessary, but there are also lots of little adjustments you can make to your life to make things as easy as possible for yourself.

If you would like to speak to a qualified audiologist about managing your hearing loss or having your hearing health tested, call Professional Hearing Aid Associates at (785) 940-4101. We are here to help you get the best possible experience, no matter how much hearing loss is affecting your life right now.