If you are experiencing a degradation in your hearing, it is important that you visit a qualified audiologist in order to take a hearing test, however, a lot of people are really hesitant to do this, even if they are living with hearing loss. Why? Because many people find a loss of hearing to be embarrassing; a sign of getting old, and many people want to plant their head in the sand and pretend it isn’t happening because they’re worried about the implications. Although this is understandable, it is far from ideal because hearing loss can have a profound effect on physical and mental health.

If you have a loved one who maybe needs to take a hearing test, but for whatever reason, they just won’t make an appointment with an audiologist, it would be a good idea for you to encourage them to do so. How do you do that?

Spot the signs

Before you can encourage a loved one to take a hearing test with a qualified audiologist, you need to be able to spot the signs of hearing loss. These include:

  • Having difficulty hearing you on the phone
  • Mishearing what you say
  • Turning up the TV and other devices to a really loud volume
  • Asking you to repeat yourself a lot
  • Isolating themselves or withdrawing from social events

If you’ve spotted any of these signs of hearing loss and you want to help a loved one to get the medical attention they need, there are a few things you can do to encourage them.

Timing is everything

If you want to talk to a loved one about taking a hearing test, you need to be very careful about when you approach them. As we mentioned above, hearing loss can be a sensitive subject, so it needs to be approached with care. With that in mind, you should probably choose a quiet time when you can talk to your loved one in private. That way you can limit the number of people who know about the issue and carefully encourage your loved one to see an audiologist.

Make it about you

In order to avoid your loved one feeling attacked or judged by the conversation, it can be useful to avoid making statements directly about them; things like you never hear what I’m saying, or you’re constantly asking me to repeat myself and instead focus on I statements like I feel like I always have to repeat myself when we’re talking or I’ve found that you don’t listen to me. This can be a bit less confrontational and make it clear to your loved one that their hearing loss affects the people around them almost as much as it affects themself –often this is enough to make them take action and start taking care of their aural health.

Listen to them

Once you’ve highlighted the issue, it can be good to sit down and listen to what your loved one has to say about their hearing loss. Ask them why they won’t take a hearing test, listen to their worries and where possible, try to reassure them that a visit to the audiologist is not as scary as they may think and that having their hearing loss treated could revolutionize life for them.

Consider taking the test too

If your loved one is seriously concerned about taking a hearing test, offering to take one right alongside them could help them to get comfortable with the idea. If they can watch the audiologist taking you through the test first, and if they know you are there to support them, it could be enough to take some of the far away. It could also potentially identify any early issues you may be having with your hearing, so it could be a positive move all around.

Have them try a hearing aid

Many audiologists, hearing centers, and hearing aid sales companies offer hearing aid demonstrations that allow individuals to try out the devices and see how much their hearing improves as a result. If your loved one is proving hard to convince, having them try out a device could finally be persuaded when they see for themself how much better their hearing is with a hearing aid than without. 

The Rametta Audiology & Hearing Aid Center is home to some of the best audiologists in the area. Encouraging your loved one to take a hearing test with them could be one of the best moves you ever make. So, call us today at Tarentum: (724) 409-4439 or Vandergrift: (724) 567-3233.