We regularly hear from people that fun activities like eating out at restaurants have become strained because hearing loss makes it hard to keep up with conversation. Restaurants are one of the most consistently problematic locations for those with hearing loss – even when they are using hearing aids. It turns out, restaurants aren’t helping. New investigations and reporting are …
New Years Resolution: Get Your Hearing Tested!
Start this New Year by prioritizing your wellness and getting your hearing tested! Hearing loss can happen to anyone and is one of the most common health concerns Americans are navigating today. Often times, challenges with hearing develops gradually so differences in your ability to hear can be subtle and therefore hard to completely realize. Examining your hearing not only …
September is World Alzheimer’s Month
September brings the worldwide initiative, World Alzheimer’s Month. This campaign is designed to raise awareness around the world about the disease as well as address the stigma that surrounds it. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain condition that impacts areas which control thought, memory, emotion and language. Dementia is a decline in mental function that cannot be reversed, and Alzheimer’s disease …
Coming to Terms with Your Hearing Loss
It’s notoriously difficult to come to terms with a hearing loss. That explains why it takes an average of seven years for a hearing-impaired individual to seek help for their condition. It is however important to treat it as soon as possible to mitigate the long-term effects of untreated hearing loss, and the first step is admitting your hearing loss. …
Happy and Healthy Living with Hearing Aids
It can be difficult to accept a diagnosis of disabling hearing loss, especially later in life. The idea of beginning a new lifestyle and relearning your sense of hearing can be daunting, but when you consider the benefits of your overall health, you can live a happier—and wealthier! —life. When disabling hearing loss is treated with hearing aids, cochlear implants, …
Hearing Loss & Fatigue
Yawn! Does it ever seem like just listening to people wears you out? Well, if you deal with hearing loss, that just might be the case! Our hearing may not seem like it takes a lot of muscle, but when we struggle to hear, it actually strains our whole body and can leave you feeling exhausted. If you manage hearing …
May is Better Speech and Hearing Month!
[May is Better Speech and Hearing Month. Every year, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) dedicates this month to raising awareness of conditions which impede communication, such as speech disorders and hearing loss. For 2019, the theme is “Communication Across the Lifespan.” The organization wants to highlight the importance of maintaining communication skills from childhood up to old age. We hope …
Proposed Accessibility Legislation in Seattle
The next time you catch a game at a sports bar in Seattle, Washington, you might just notice something slightly different. Businesses there with TVs are now required to turn on closed-captioning, as part of a recent law passed by the Seattle City Council. In what is seen as a major victory for the Deaf and hard of hearing communities, …
As an Invisible Disability, Hearing Loss Often Goes Ignored
[Helen Keller is credited with writing that “Blindness cuts us off from things but deafness cuts us off from people.” This is incredibly accurate and is often unrecognized by those around us. Hearing loss can have a significant impact on both your social and professional life. Coping with hearing loss is different from other disabilities as it is invisible; even …
Tips for Better Communication with People with Hearing Loss
[Individuals suffering from hearing loss may find communicating with others to be stressful, frustrating, and discomforting. While there is a portion of those with hearing loss who are quite open about their struggles by asking you to make adjustments to help during a conversation, many people in fact either don’t realize that their hearing is declining or they choose not …