Close Friends and Hearing Loss

Having a conversation with a close friend who has hearing loss can be challenging. Talking with that same friend about their hearing loss can be even more difficult. People who experience hearing loss are often reluctant to admit it, even if they’ve noticed that more and more frequently they’re asking people to repeat what’s been said. What can you do to help close friends who have hearing loss?

Have Compassion

A person who experiences hearing loss often doesn’t realize, or is unwilling to admit, how serious it is. They may deny that they have a problem at all and blame the inability to hear on various factors such as a head cold, the weather or other noises that may be present. As hearing loss is also equated with aging, many people fear that admitting the loss is also an admission that they’re getting old.

Stay On Their Good Side

Hearing loss is often more significant in one ear. When talking to close friends with hearing loss, position yourself to be on the side with the “good” ear.

Encourage Corrective Action

Although permanent hearing loss is irreversible, a hearing aid will amplify and enhance sounds to make them more audible. The wide variety of available styles and features ensure that the appropriate hearing aid can be found. Gently encourage a close friend to explore various options. Go with them to provide support during the hearing assessment and ensure that they understand all questions asked.

Become an Earplug Advocate

Encourage protective measures to prevent further damage. Over time, hearing loss often becomes more pronounced. With less acute hearing, it is difficult to know when sounds reach a dangerous level. Care should be taken to protect hearing with earplugs or ear muffs whenever engaging in any activity that produces high levels of sound, such as running a lawn mower or using noisy household appliances or hand tools.

Make Yourself Heard

The loss of hearing can be devastating, affecting every area of a person’s life. If nothing is done to correct the problem, hearing loss usually continues to get worse with time. As a close friend is often the first to notice small changes in a person’s ability to hear, be alert for subtle signs that hearing isn’t as acute as it once was and take steps to help your friend effectively deal with the issue and guard against further deterioration.

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