Tips for Effective Communicating with Children and Families Who Wear Hearing Aids
You might be surprised to learn that over 4 million people in America sensor hearing aids, but many don’t use them optimally. Although most adults are able to adjust and adapt to their hearing aids, it becomes a huge problem when it comes to small children.
Hearing aids are necessary for those who need to take steps towards hearing rehabilitation. The best way to help a family member who needs them is by giving them the confidence and resources they need to wear their hearing aids. Giving verbal reminders, showing them what alarms mean, and teaching sign language can all go a long way in creating a bridge between audiology and your loved ones.
Tips for teaching small children to wear hearing aid
A small child, especially one who is under three years old, will try to take out the hearing aid especially on the first few times that this gadget is attached to their ears. To avoid such problems, here’s what you need to do:
- Use hair tape to fix the hearing aid behind his ear
Kids can also have a flexible loop attached to hold their hearing aid when they do physical activities like dancing or running. This will help the hearing aids stay in place, and prevents them from bouncing off when they move their head back and forth.
- Hook a string, cord, clip, fish line or a loop to hold the hearing aid in place and attach the other end to the child’s dress.
- Buy an Ear Gear
- Encourage the child with hearing aids to continue wearing the devices
- If he is about to rip off his hearing aid, divert his attention by using his toys. This will train your loved one that wearing the hearing aid all the time can be okay, but if too intrusive then remove it for a moment.
Four Practices To Follow To Help Adults With Hearing Aids
If a family member is struggling with hearing aids, it is important to recommend seeing an audiologist to get a hearing aids prescription. This will help ensure the individual gets just the right device, determined from an expert’s recommendation.
- Don’t expect them to use their hearing aid right after buying it. They will need time to get adjusted to the feeling of the foreign object attached to their ears.
- According to Insight Hearing Aids, your family member might not be able to adjust the controls all by himself. If your family member is really old, he might not be able to access the device properly and it is helpful to help him out with adjustments.
- Focus your tone and volume when speaking when you have a conversation with an audibly impaired family member.
- Build the hearing aid user’s confidence with gradual changes through usage, increasing the time they listen daily until they are able to adjust.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing Test for Hearing Aids Overview
With the help of hearing aids, many people are able to hear conversations clearly again. Here is a straightforward guide on how they work and some hearing aids prescription tips to make them even more helpful.
What is a hearing aid?
A hearing aid is a device that amplifies sound so you can hear it. Many people with hearing problems may also use a hearing aid as a way to prevent tinnitus, or ringing or buzzing in the ears.
The hearing test
A hearing test is often one of the first things to happen when a person visits a hearing care center. The test will assess a person’s hearing, especially for potential hearing loss that might have been present prior to going into the center. A frequent part of the testing process is determining whether an individual is eligible for a certain type of hearing aid. This can be done by checking on how well their current device works, providing suggestions to improve the wearer’s quality of life and considering other factors like age and lifestyle.
Hearing aids prescriptions
Hearing aids are prescribed by both a specialist and an audiologist. The audiologist will then provide a hearing test for the patient. The audiologist takes into account the patient’s medical history, symptoms experienced, and the results of various tests to recommend the best hearing aid for that individual.
What to do with your hearing aid prescription
You now have a prescription for your hearing aid, and you’re looking forward to living a life where you can hear what you want, when you want. But how will it work? What are the possible side effects? Will it be uncomfortable? Will you be able to hear from the back of a plane? These are just a few questions you may want to consider. You can also contact ear professionals in the field of hearing to discuss what they think of your potential hearing aid prescription.
Tips for Buying Hearing Devices
There are many things to think about when purchasing a hearing aid. Durable, comfortable to wear and resistant against ear wax and moisture are just three of the factors you may want to consider. The battery life must be good and offer plenty people with different audio settings.
Different types of hearing aids exist and you will need help from an audiologist to determine which makes sense for your hearing problem. The most popular type is behind the ear because it can accommodate different needs and has a versatile design.
You don’t need to wear a bulky device with a hearing test for a hearing aid prescription. In-ear devices will provide the same benefits as those that are visible and do not offer any drawbacks
If your audiologist has given you a prescription, make sure you learn as much as you can about the device to make the most of it. And you should also give yourself time to get used to the sensation of wearing a device in or behind your ears. In due time you’ll get used to it, and you’ll notice the difference in sound.
There are many reasons why hearing test for hearing aids prescription work well, but mainly it’s because they use powerful, sophisticated computer chips that adjust sounds automatically throughout the day. In other words, they function just like human ears and become very comfortable. In addition, these devices are lightweight and won’t be a burden even if you wear them all day.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aids Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Some Frequently Asked Questions About Hearing Loss
Many people don’t notice their hearing loss until too late. They may assume that it’s a temporary problem. Is it any sign of hearing loss?
Here lists some frequently asked hearing questions:
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Is it any sign of hearing loss?
Some of the most common ways that you can know you have a hearing loss include:
- Asking people to repeat themselves often
- Difficulty following conversations that involve more than two persons
- Thinking that others are mumbling or speaking quietly
- Difficulty hearing speech in noisy situations
- People compliant about how loud your Television is
- Inappropriate responses during conversation
- Stress from straining to hear what others are saying
- Withdrawing from enjoyable social situations more often
- Family history of hearing loss
- Taking medications that can harm the hearing system
- Diabetes, heart, circulation, or thyroid problems
- History of exposure to loud sounds at work or leisure
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Is it possible to improve my hearing?
Many forms of hearing loss are permanent and no cure. An amplified hearing device, namely hearing aid fitted by a hearing professional, will help improve your experience with various difficulties of hearing loss. This treatment method can help most people to improve their hearing and quality of life.
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At what age do people get hearing loss?
As hearing loss is cumulative, hearing loss begins as an infant and continues throughout life. Most individuals don’t begin to experience symptoms until their late 20s or early 30s, and by age 45 a yearly hearing check becomes of greater importance. One-third of people beyond the age of 65 have some degree of hearing loss, however mild or severe, and that share of the elderly population increases as they age.
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Is hearing loss hereditary?
It is difficult to say what genetic factors predispose individuals to hearing loss but there seems to be a connection. Some genetic disorders present at birth cause a hearing loss, but in the absence of a disease, hearing loss can still have a basis in your genetics.
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Are there any health downsides to not treating hearing loss?
Research has established a relationship between hearing loss and dementia. There is strong evidence that hearing loss accelerates brain-tissue atrophy, particularly in areas of the brain that auditory nerves would stimulate but can’t because they aren’t receiving a signal (due to a hearing loss). These areas of the brain are also related to memory and speech. Individuals with a mild hearing loss are three times as likely to fall down than those without, and the likelihood of falls increases as degree of hearing loss increases. Hearing loss has also been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sickle-cell anemia, and other circulatory conditions.
If you think you may suffer from hearing loss, don’t ignore the signs. Please make an appointment for the hearing aid prescription.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aid Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Hearing Aids: Prescription vs. Non-Prescription
Do you need a hearing aid? Maybe not, but you should think about getting one before you go out to buy one. This article explains the benefits of getting a hearing aid prescription before you purchase a hearing aid. It also highlights some of the issues that can come with hearing aid prescription.
What is a hearing aid prescription?
There are several different types of businesses that provide hearing aids ranging from audiologists, to ENT Doctors, to hearing aid dealers and franchise stores, and even big-box retail stores and internet sellers. Hence, it’s often recommended to take a hearing test and assessment by an audiologist in order to obtain a prescription for a hearing aid. The licensed audiologist is the most qualified hearing professional to diagnose and evaluate your hearing, and to recommend and provide a comprehensive solution to your hearing needs.
Whether you need hearing aids prescription or non-prescription can depend on several factors. There are elements that make prescription better than non-prescription, and vice versa.
What are the advantages of prescription hearing aids?
A hearing aid made by an audiologist or an ENT doctor is typically better than one you can purchase in stores. It is specifically designed for the particular needs of the person with a hearing impairment. You cannot get this type of hearing device without getting hearing aids prescription from an audiologist or an ENT specialist.
A hearing aid professional will diagnose your degree of hearing loss, and prescribe the optimal type of hearing aids. If you show your prescription to a supplier of hearing devices, they can tell you what model is best for your type and degree of hearinig loss.
The premium offered by your prescription model for your medical device is well worth it. Regular, off-the-shelf hearing aids may not work as well as the prescribed models because they are specifically designed to account for individual needs. Non-prescription models are really only suitable for some situations because you cannot customize them enough to account for different individuals.
A prescription hearing aid is said to last longer than a non-prescription hearing aid. Reliable and durable, they can be trusted to work for a long while. By paying the higher costs of a prescription hearing aid in the beginning, you will continue to enjoy your investment for years to come.
The major drawbacks of prescription hearing aids is the cost. You have to pay for an audiologist or the services of an ENT specialist who will diagnose your condition and provide you with a hearing aid prescription. From there, you may need to buy a more expensive hearing aid than if you wanted to go the non-prescription shop.
Most of the non-prescription hearing aids aimed at the masses aren’t made of quality materials; you really have to search for quality brands and models if you want sure that it will last a reasonable length of time.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
and Hearing Aids Prescription
https://www.hkhearingspeech.com
Tips for a Better Hearing Experience Using Hearing Aids
One similarity between hearing aids and eyeglasses is that they work in a similar way. Eyeglasses cannot return your eyesight to normal. The same goes for hearing aids. Unless you are totally deaf, a hearing aid can:
1) Give sounds a louder and more significant quality
2) Transform sound into vibrations so that they can be recognized by your brain cells.
You might be able to hear better with your hearing aid, but you are still not hearing as well as someone with 20/20 eyesight. Although new innovations are constantly being introduced to make people’s lives easier, there are some external factors that affect its performance even if you might have a hearing aid prescribed by your audiologist. Here lists them as below:
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The severity of your hearing loss.
Hearing aids can only restore some hearing, but they cannot make us hear as well as other people can. This is what makes these devices different from eyeglasses, which may be very thick so that people can still see and read normally.
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The degree to which your hearing loss has affected the clarity of your hearing.
This is known as speech discrimination, which is an approximation of how well you understand words; it’s measured on a scale from 0-100% (0% understanding equals constructive interference). For example, if you’ve scored 50%, then you understand half of what you hear – the rest is gibberish.
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How often you wear your hearing aids.
You must wear them constantly to adjust to them and reap benefits of your devices. It can take weeks before you adjust, so wear it regularly for an optimal experience.
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How well other people communicate with you.
If you must read lips in order to understand what people are saying to you, wearing hearing aids will make it much easier. Those with hearing aids should also speak clearly and laugh out loud if necessary. People speaking to them should interact face-to-face and not mumble their words.
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The level of the background noise when you are engaged in conversation.
Noise is a common problem for those with hearing loss. In a noisy environment, you may need to increase volume to the point where the voices are jarring and hard to understand. That is because you can’t decipher what someone is saying from reading their lips alone.
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The acoustics in the room you’re in can affect how your hearing aids work.
Rooms with excellent acoustics will improve your ability to hear out conversations while various other rooms may muffle what you’re trying to hear.
The performance of your hearing aid is not the only thing that can affect how well it works for you. Hence, it is important to note these factors before using your hearing aid to improve your hearing in conversation.
Source:
HK Hearing & Speech Centre
Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,
http://www.hkhearingspeech.com