Those who have normal hearing often have certain misconceptions about people with hearing losses. This is because deafness has no outward sign and people tend to be unaware of what it means exactly. There are some myths that are very common regarding deafness, and this article looks at these and explains just why they are myths.
- Everyone who is hard-of-hearing uses sign language or reads lips: No they don’t. Deafness can be of varying degrees and not everyone with this problem communicates in the same way. Depending on whether the loss is mild or complete, and whether the person uses a hearing aid or an implant, he may or may not use sign language to communicate with others. People with hearing problems also do not necessarily read lips always, though facing a deaf person while talking to him or her will help them pick up facial clues that can make communication easier for them.
- Speaking louder will help a person who is hard-of-hearing to understand: Speaking loudly will not help if there is no clarity of speech. Yelling may distort speech patterns and make it difficult for the other person to understand what is being said.
- Electronic aids and implants restore hearing to normalcy: Hearing aids are just that – aids to better hearing. They don’t reverse the process of deafness. Electronic aids increase the overall volume of sound entering the ear as well as the volume in certain frequencies to increase clarity. A cochineal implant can increase the clarity and bring hearing close to normalcy, but that again depends on a number of things such as the person’s history of deafness, his age at implant, onset of deafness etc.
- People with deafness are usually elderly adults: Children and adults below the age of 65 make up about 70 % of those who are deaf.
- If a person who is deaf misses something that you say, it’s okay to say It’s not important: There is nothing more frustrating having missed a part of a conversation and not have it repeated, and its the same whether you are deaf or not. Someone who cannot hear well still has the right to decide what is important and what is not, so he should be treated with respect.
If you are someone who has trouble hearing, Pittsburgh PA has facilities that can make day to day living more comfortable for you. Whether you want a check-up or an implant or whether you are looking for products like custom molds for your I-pod, there are centers that can cater to your needs. Choose a center that will treat you with respect and will make your visit comfortable for you.
Hearing Pittsburgh PA – Are you looking for help to protect and restore your hearing? Pittsburgh PA residents trust Francis Audiology Associates & The Total Hearing Store, LLC for their complete range of hearing health care products and services, and you can too.
