Mayo Clinic on Better Hearing and Balance by Mayo Clinic

Author:Mayo Clinic
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-03-04T16:00:00+00:00

To alert you to a sound, a hearing dog will first nudge you to get your attention (top), then lead you to the source of the sound, such as a ringing telephone (bottom).

Finding support

Even under the best circumstances, living with a hearing impairment will have its frustrating moments. There will be times when you feel overwhelmed by the effort of staying connected to the hearing world. You’ll also sometimes feel isolated by your inability to hear certain sounds.

You don’t have to cope with all of the challenges alone. Various options are available that provide support to people with hearing loss, such as aural rehabilitation or a support group. Many national, state and local organizations provide information on preventing hearing loss and resources for living with hearing impairment.

Aural rehabilitation

If you don’t feel comfortable with your hearing impairment, consider aural rehabilitation, also called hearing rehabilitation or auditory training. Aural rehabilitation helps you adjust to hearing loss and tries to reduce the difficulties. Advocates say that by making the best use of hearing aids and assistive listening devices, you can take charge of your communication needs.

An audiologist, a speech-language pathologist or both typically provide aural rehabilitation services. For rehabilitation, you may work one-on-one with a therapist or as part of a group or in both settings. Group therapy can be especially helpful because you’ll meet others facing the same issues as you are.

The overall goal of aural rehabilitation is to maximize your self-confidence and your ability to communicate with others in everyday situations. This can be achieved by a number of helpful steps, including:

Understanding your hearing loss

Learning how to listen

Learning skills in speech reading

Building confidence in communication situations

Dealing with emotional problems related to hearing loss

Learning about all the options among different hearing aids and assistive listening devices

Understanding your legal rights and being your own advocate

Promoting your family’s understanding of your needs

Making it easier for your family to communicate with you

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