By Courtney Parmley, Au.D., CCC-A & Joanna Capobianco, Au.D., CCC-A,Audiologists at the Central Illinois Hearing & Balance Center, a division of Finn R. Amble, MD, FACS, SC
The holidays are here. It’s time to sit around the table, eat, laugh, and catch up with friends and family. You get to listen to the crinkle of wrapping paper, songs of carolers, and the excitement of children. That is, unless you are living with hearing loss.
Hearing loss can make this time of year rather frustrating for you and your family. Whether it is a known hearing loss and you are already wearing hearing aids, or maybe it is undiagnosed hearing loss that everyone tells you is there, but you just feel like “people mumble.” With the holiday season upon us and the beginning of a new year on the horizon, let’s work on better hearing for the holidays and enjoying the sounds of your life in 2017.
Some people think that in order to obtain better hearing you need to get hearing aids. While that is the case for some patients, that is not the case for others. Go ahead and schedule an appointment for a hearing evaluation. Maybe you just have some wax in your ears that is making it hard for you to hear. Easy fix, right? Maybe you do have some permanent hearing loss, but hearing aids aren’t a good option for you right now. You will never know your options until you get in to see an audiologist. Maybe a new device to get you hearing your favorite TV program is just what you need, or perhaps you just simply need to learn some new communication strategies. Whatever your situation, make better hearing a priority this holiday season. Studies have shown that addressing hearing loss enhances quality of life by helping people maintain an active, healthy lifestyle while remaining socially and cognitively engaged.
So go ahead. Ring in this holiday season with a hearing test. Whether it’s conversation and laughter around the dinner table you enjoy most, or watching a movie or football game together on the television, let the latest hearing aid technologies and other assistive listening devices help you hear your best and stay connected with family and friends in the new year.
Contact Dr. Parmley or Dr. Capobianco, Audiologists at the Central Illinois Hearing & Balance Center at 309-661-0232. Their office is conveniently located at 808 S. Eldorado Rd. Suite 2W in Bloomington.
Information obtained from Better Hearing Institute