Column | Marie-Josée Taillefer
The Brave Little Voice
Putting an End to Isolating Reflexes Practising Self-Care Knowing the early signs of hearing loss and how it can affect our quality of life can make us better equipped to prevent the isolation it causes. The first step of self-care is listening to our needs. Getting our Hearing Checked
Hearing loss can have a range of impacts on ourself or someone we know. My goal is to educate the entire population on the importance of good hearing health; identifying the consequences of hearing loss is part of that. One of the most harmful consequences of untreated hearing loss is social isolation.
What Leads People to Isolate Themselves? People with hearing loss can experience isolation as a result of many actions taken to avoid potentially difficult listening situations. Fear of misunderstanding can make them reluctant to participate in many different social activities, such as: ª
Bowling
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Playing cards
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Going to concerts or comedy shows
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Getting a coffee with friends
However, if we have hearing loss, there are many ways for us to return to activities we have been avoiding.
If we have any doubts about the quality of our hearing, a hearing health consultation with a professional will help us get all the facts and understand the next steps to guide us to manage our hearing health. Expressing our Needs To make our life easier, it’s best if our loved ones work with us. But for that to happen, we need to start by talking about our struggles. By doing so, the people we see every day can take the necessary actions to help us stay active. Through the teaching of listening and communication strategies, our loved ones can gain insight into our needs and become allies.
Tip ! A comprehensive guide about communication strategies, free of charge, is available at all Lobe clinics. Simply ask a hearing health professional.
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