Holidays and Hearing Loss: how to help your loved ones

I guess we are officially smack in the middle of the holiday season, right? This is a great time to encourage your loved ones to take control of their hearing problems.

Hearing loss is one of the most common health conditions that people ignore, and yet it is one of the more simple to help.  Affecting more than 31.5 million Americans, I am certain someone you love is affected.  Left untreated, hearing loss can lead to depression and feelings of isolation - feelings that are often more prevalent this time of year as it is.

"The holiday season is meant to be a time of thanks, celebration, and joy," says Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D., Executive Director of the Better Hearing Institute. "But for many people, it is a time of year when unaddressed hearing loss can cause them to feel particularly isolated and depressed. Even when surrounded by loved ones, a family member's impaired ability to hear and actively participate in conversation cuts them off. Oftentimes, they are left with a sense of sadness, inadequacy, and emotional isolation. This is especially true when the hearing loss is either unrecognized or is being 'hidden' by the family member with hearing loss."

Keep a close look on loved ones who you have suspected might have some hearing loss in the past. Help keep them included in your holiday conversations, but also encourage them to start taking the steps toward better hearing.

"When a family member experiences unaddressed hearing loss, it silently erodes the loved one's quality of life—undermining family relationships, interfering with short-term memory, and creeping into virtually every aspect of daily living," says Kochkin. "The good news is there are solutions to help loved ones with hearing loss regain the gift of sound so they don't need to draw back in silence. Hearing loss can be easily diagnosed, and there are modern-day solutions that can help people hear better."