Whether single-sided or unilateral, hearing loss can significantly curtail the quality of life. From your loved ones and friends feeling nervous when they are around you to difficulty in holding successful conversations, hearing loss is a challenging experience. Without proper support, hearing challenges can easily lead to wild imaginations by both the victims and the people around them.
3 Simple Ways to Live a Full Life
There is nothing as frustrating and depressing as being in a room full of people heartily conversing, yet you can’t join in the fun and because you have a hearing problem. The following are simple ways you can use to live a full life despite losing your hearing:
Embrace your condition
The first step towards living a full life in spite of hearing loss is embracing your condition. And let everyone around you, including friends, colleagues, and loved ones; know that you have a hearing loss problem. For you to function better in your environment, you need to be positive about the situation. Opening to people, especially at the workplace, will also ensure that your colleagues and employer can make accommodations for you to work and interact comfortably. Embracing your condition will help in engaging in safe activities such as taking regular breaks and avoiding loud music that takes a significant toll on your hearing capability.
Purchase a hearing aid or cochlear implants
Easily the most preferred by many people with sensorineural hearing loss problems, hearing aids help in amplifying the sounds. Your inner ear collects sound waves of designated frequencies. If you have a hearing problem, in most cases, it is as a result of the inability of the inner ear to pick these waves. Hearing aids come in different styles. Some are worn behind the ears while others are fitted into the inner ear canal. You can also go for those that fit inside the outer ear. Therefore, before settling on any hearing aid, learn more about hearing aids and their benefits to the society and you, in particular.
In cases where the inner ear or cochlea damage is severe, it recommended that you go for a cochlear implant. These implants receive sound waves through a microphone and directly relay the waves to the auditory nerve. Always make the decision to go for the implant at the onset of the severe inner ear damage for the best results.
Learn how to use nonverbal cues
From leaning forward, but invading a speaker’s personal space, to cupping signals, there are easy and subtle sign languages you can use during conversations to remind others about your hearing problem. The speaker will readily increase their voice as you converse without any awkward pauses. You can also learn simple and common sign languages that you use without disrupting the flow of a conversation.
The Bottom Line
A hearing loss should not affect your normal activities. The process of living a fulfilling life after suffering from a one-sided or unilateral hearing loss begins with embracing the condition. Always remain positive and be happy as you grow older while using either cochlear implants or hearing aids.
