Hearing loss can be caused by certain diseases, strong medication, exposure to a loud noises, or simple by the natural process of aging. When hearing loss happens, frustration, stress and even depression are inevitable. However, it does not mean you have to drastically change your lifestyle or give up the activities you enjoy. There are effective ways to deal with the loss of hearing that can easily fit into your everyday routine.

1. Find New Technologies

Nowadays, you can find more dependable technologies than ever before to help you address your loss of hearing problem. One of the most popular is hearing aid. Hearing aid technology has improved so much in the last years that today there are various styles, sizes and shapes of hearing aid devices to suit everyone’s needs. Optional features such as mobile phone attachments, directional microphones, etc., can assist you to accurately recognize the sounds around you.

Another great helpful technology is the use of captioning. All new TV unit models provide captioning options so those with limited hearing ability can read simultaneously as they watch. There are also some telephone models that come with captioning options, allowing an individual with hearing loss to enjoy a phone conversation in a similar way.

2. Rely on visual cues

Many of those with hearing loss prefer to speak with a person face-to-face so they can read visual cues such as body language and emotion. This helps them interpret speech. So even if you have a limited hearing ability, do not underestimate the awesome power of your brain. A recent study reported that the brain of deaf people or those who have partial hearing loss, are more sensitive to other body language and facial expressions.

3. Meet others who also have hearing loss

Finding other people who are successfully coping with the loss of hearing can be very helpful. The Better Hearing Australia Organization is a great way to meet people with hearing loss problem, and become active in your local community.

4. Reliance is OK

Do not hide your hearing loss problem from other people. Asking someone to speak more calmly or to repeat the interesting line you missed in a conversation does not mean that you are ‘dependent’. According to experts, to be considered a dependant, you would have to ask someone to narrate the entire conversation. You can still be independent while relying on others.