Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Get Started

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

  • Housecall
  • Alzheimer's caregiving
  • Living with cancer

Coping and support

By Mayo Clinic staff

These tips help you to communicate more easily despite your hearing loss:

  • Position yourself to hear. Face the person with whom you're having a conversation.
  • Turn off background noise. For example, noise from a television may interfere with conversation.
  • Ask others to speak clearly. Most people will be helpful if they know you're having trouble hearing them.
  • Choose quiet settings. In public, such as in a restaurant or at a social gathering, choose a place to talk that's away from noisy areas.
  • Consider using an assistive listening device. Hearing devices, such as TV-listening systems or telephone-amplifying devices, can help you hear better while decreasing other noises around you.
References
  1. Hearing loss. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://nihseniorhealth.gov/hearingloss/hearinglossdefined/01.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  2. Weber PC. Evaluation of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  3. Medwetsky L. Hearing loss. In: Duthie EH, et al. Practice of Geriatrics. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/146634551-3/0/1532/189.html?tocnode=53845996&fromURL=189.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2261-9..50026-4_447. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  4. Kozak AT, et al. Hearing loss. Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America. 2009; 42:79.
  5. Weber PC. Etiology of hearing loss in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  6. Drug-induced ototoxicity. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec08/ch086/ch086d.html. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  7. Occupational noise exposure — 1910.95. U.S. Department of Labor. http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=STANDARDS&p_id=9735. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  8. Hidalgo JL, et al. The hearing-dependent daily activities scale to evaluate impact of hearing loss in older people. Annals of Family Medicine. 2008;6:441.
  9. Katbamna B, et al. Acquired hearing loss in adolescents. Pediatric Clinics of North America. 2008:55;1391.
  10. Common sounds. National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/education/teachers/common_sounds.asp. Accessed June 26, 2009.
  11. Takahashi PY (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 1, 2009.
  12. Learn more about hearing loss prevention: Noise meter. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Accessed July 15, 2009.
  13. How loud is too loud? American Tinnitus Association. http://www.ata.org/about-tinnitus/how-loud-too-loud. Accessed July 15, 2009.

DS00172

Aug. 22, 2009

© 1998-2009 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). All rights reserved. A single copy of these materials may be reprinted for noncommercial personal use only. "Mayo," "Mayo Clinic," "MayoClinic.com," "EmbodyHealth," "Reliable tools for healthier lives," "Enhance your life," and the triple-shield Mayo Clinic logo are trademarks of Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.

Print Share Reprints

Text Size: smaller largerlarger