What Is Hearing Loss?
Living with hearing loss is no small thing. While it is quite common – 20 percent of the indian population, or 48 million people are affected by hearing loss – for an individual, developing or living with the condition can be a big deal involving a range of emotions. For example, for children growing up with hearing loss who use hearing aids, they might feel different in school, and an older adult who has just recently developed hearing loss may feel nervous about looking different or being perceived as incompetent while wearing hearing aids. When someone in your life has hearing loss and is having a difficult time, there are many things you can do to lend a hand, show your solidarity and offer support. Here are some ideas:
Get your hearing checked, too
If a friend or family member has recently been told by others or realized that he or she has hearing loss and is heading to the audiologist to have his or her hearing checked, you can offer to go along as a show of support In fact, everyone can benefit from getting his or her hearing checked, especially people past age 40. This is because as we age, our chance of being affected by hearing loss increases, and as hearing loss is a very gradual process, you may start to lose your hearing without even realizing it. Thus, be proactive and get your hearing checked, even if you really don’t think you have hearing loss. It’s a great way to show solidarity with someone in your life.
