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The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports, “Among adults aged 45 and over, hearing difficulties increased with age among men and women.” If you’re among this population and you wear hearing aids or are considering them, you may be wondering how you can help your grandchildren understand what they are and how they help you. We review tips for this below.
Talk About Your Hearing Loss
Depending on how old your grandchildren are, you may give a more or less in-depth explanation about your hearing loss. If you’re speaking with a young child, you can explain that your ears don’t work as well as theirs do. If you’re speaking to a child who is a little older, you can talk to them about why you have hearing loss, like if you’ve been exposed to excessive noise, have an underlying medical condition or have taken ototoxic medications. Then, you can explain how they can keep their hearing healthy.
Explain How Your Hearing Aids Work
If your grandchildren are interested, you can start explaining how your hearing aids work. Tell them that the microphone picks up the sounds around you, like their voices, and sends the signal to the processor. The processor’s job is to amplify the sounds to the exact level you need to hear them. Then, the signals are sent to the receiver, which delivers the sounds to your ears. You can open the battery compartment and show them what powers the device, similar to the batteries that power their toys. If you are comfortable with it, you can let your grandchildren hold your hearing aids for a moment.
Discuss Communication Strategies
Because children’s voices are usually difficult to hear for people with high-frequency hearing loss, you may need to discuss communication strategies with your grandchildren. Tell them to say your name and wait until you’re facing them before they start talking, take turns so nobody is interrupting anyone and to rephrase what they are saying when you can’t understand them, especially in busy places like the playground at Gage Park.
To learn more about choosing a hearing aid or to schedule an appointment with a hearing expert, call Topeka Ear Nose & Throat today.