People with hearing loss often lose out on large parts of their life. They are often completely ignored by their own family members, and disrespected by their children. People with hearing loss are often made fun of or are treated in a dismissive manner.
Hearing loss can be a socially isolating experience. For some people, they are too embarrassed to admit that they need to wear hearing aids, and thus attempt to hide their hearing loss by changing their physical appearance to conceal their hearing aids, such as growing their hair long or having long sideburns.
Over time, people with hearing loss begin to withdraw further into the background since they feel out of place. People rarely choose to talk to them since they constantly need to repeat themselves, and this pushes the person with hearing loss further into their shell of loneliness.
The problem is that hearing loss is not only the problem of the person to whom it occurs. It also directly affects all those around them, be it their friends, coworkers, and family members. People are mostly unsupportive of those with hearing loss, and this can lead to disrupted personal relationships as well as reduced productivity at work.
They say what goes around, comes around. Even though you may think that you are immune to hearing loss and may have occasionally made fun of that particular aunt or grandparent who was hard of hearing, with time you too may lose your hearing. You may deny it at first and laugh it off casually, but that will not make it go away.
People often come up with social cues to help mask their hearing loss, such as nodding and smiling even though they may not have heard what was said. It may take years before you come to terms with the fact that you need treatment to address your hearing loss, but by then too much damage could have occurred. Do not let a temporary sense of embarrassment prevent you from leading a lifetime of fulfillment that can be achieved through the use of hearing aids to rectify hearing loss.
The stigma attached to hearing loss can be broken only once you embrace that you have a hearing impairment and choose to address your hearing needs. Treat your hearing loss like you would with any other ailment. You would not delay treating a fever, or a pain in your stomach, would you? So why delay treatment when it comes to hearing loss?
Hearing loss can be a genetic problem, so if you have parents or grandparents who have developed hearing loss, make sure you get your hearing tested periodically. Educate yourself about hearing loss and join support groups to gain the motivation you need to address your hearing health needs. Begin communicating openly and honestly with your loved ones about your hearing loss so that you have a safe place to disclose your feelings and also a sense of communal support.
It may seem uncommon, but hearing loss actually affects 50 million people in the United States alone, so do not feel as though you are the only one going through this. You do not need to suffer alone. Break free from your shell of silence and get help for your hearing needs today. Be open, accepting and understanding of your situation, so that you can help reduce the stigma attached to hearing loss and teach others the ways in which they can be supportive towards you.
Help your children by protecting their hearing from a young age by encouraging them to use earplugs before exposing themselves to loud noises and limiting the time they spend listening to loud music. Talk to others about hearing loss and spread awareness within your community. You alone can bring about the change required to get hearing loss out of its ill-deserved closet and out in the open where it belongs.