Guest Author - Cathy Brownfield
Some impairments are tolerable if nobody can see them or identify them. If you break a leg, everyone knows it’s going to heal in a matter of weeks. If you have cataract surgery, everyone knows you are going to see better. If you are near-sighted or far-sighted, eyeglasses or contacts will make your vision impairment tolerable because you can get back into the game.
But there are some impairments that don’t go away. And though often there are ways to cope with hearing devices, people would rather deny the problem exists and not even try out their options to live, not just exist, in the hearing world. The first step is admitting that there’s a problem. The second step is getting a diagnosis. The third step is following up as prescribed by your hearing specialist.
You will want to be proactive in your hearing impairment treatment. What is your actual diagnosis? Do you understand what it is, what you can do and what are all of your options?
If your doctor advises that you are a good candidate for hearing aids, are there any good reasons why you should NOT give them a try? Here are a few suggestions:
1. Check with your health insurance provider to see if you have coverage for hearing aids, how much coverage you have and over what period of time your new hearing aid(s) cover. For instance, my provider covers up to $2,500 over five years.
2. Ask your hearing aid provider if there are other resources to help you pay for your hearing aids. My provider advised me that she would apply in my behalf to our state’s rehabilitation commission for my hearing aids. Because I am a writer and publicist, my case is a “job save.” If I can’t hear, I can’t work.
3. Ask your hearing aid specialist about your options. I wanted aids to fit into my ears so no one could see them. And I hated them. I couldn’t hear ‘naturally.’ I read a few articles about hearing aids that gave me a little better idea about hearing devices. Did you realize that hearing and cognitive development have been linked? Hearing helps us to process information. If we can’t hear, we can’t process as well, resulting in poor memory and fewer problem-solving skills because the brain has to work so hard just to hear.
New generation hearing devices go beyond “just” providing quality sound and speech comprehension. Digital technology gives even better hearing quality, a more natural hearing capacity. The focus now is on individualized treatment that is tailored to each person. You’re going to get what you need, not what everyone else is getting.
4. Don’t be shy about asking questions.
5. If the first hearing devices you try don’t please you, can you try something else? Is there a trial period before you buy?
6. Are there foods and vitamin supplements that promote better hearing, that can help prevent further hearing loss?
7. How can you best take care of your hearing so it will last your lifetime?
Hearing aids aren’t for everyone, and they don’t help every hearing loss. Ask your questions. Don’t keep what isn’t working for you…ask what will work better.
I ended up with Oticon Deltas. (I do not receive any compensation for my opinion) They work best for me. I don’t have that “plugged” feeling in my ears. I forget that they are even there. I hear so well with them that I don’t care if anyone notices them, though I haven’t found anyone yet who has noticed. I can hear again. I’m not isolating myself to avoid the embarrassment of NOT hearing. I can live again. I can be in a crowd again and feel comfortable in conversations again. And I can continue to write and work in my profession.
Don’t you want that, too?
