Losing your hearing can happen to anyone, at any point in life. Whether it's a gradual decline or a sudden loss, the challenges of hearing loss can be significant.
It is a problem that a rising number of people are facing. According to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, one in three adults in the UK are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. This can lead to a loss of confidence in social situations, isolation and even depression.
Fortunately, there are various solutions and treatments available to help. Many of these can be combined to enhance hearing and improve overall quality of life. The key is working out which intervention is the best fit for each person.
In this blogpost, we’ll explore several options for those experiencing hearing loss, including medical treatments, technological aids and lipreading. Whist British Sign Language is also a valuable communication option, it may not be the right fit for everyone.
Hearing Aids and Implants
If the hearing loss is permanent, hearing aids or other implants are effective ways of making sounds more audible. A GP or hearing specialist can help to recommend the best solution.
Hearing aids don’t restore normal hearing but instead amplify sounds that are difficult to hear. They come in a few different styles, such as behind-the-ear (BTE), or in-the-ear (ITE), ensuring there is a style to suit everyone. Hearing aids work best when some hearing remains, so don’t delay if your hearing is deteriorating.
For those with more profound hearing loss, implants are often recommended. The most common type is the cochlear implant, which uses electrical signals to stimulate the auditory nerve, rather than simply amplifying the sound like hearing aid.
Apps and Telephone Services
With recent advances in technology, there are numerous helpful apps, websites, and services available to assist in managing hearing loss. Today, various text-to-speech apps, such as Otter Voice and Live Transcribe, allow people to speak into them if you’re having trouble understanding.
Since making phone calls can also be challenging, several captioning services, like Relay UK and RogerVoice, can be used to make communication easier.
Lipreading
Although these apps are useful, they are not always possible to use in day-to-day scenarios. It is far quicker and more practical to be able to lipread.
A third of our speech can be detected by just lipreading. Combining it with other factors such as residual hearing, hearing aids and body language means you can gain a very good understanding of what someone is saying.
Learning to lipread takes practice. But there are a lot of benefits from joining a lipreading class. As well as learning techniques, you receive communication support and meet individuals who understand what it feels like to lose their hearing. Almost three quarters of people were also found to have gained confidence in social situations after sitting a lipreading course.
Since the pandemic, a lot of lipreading classes have also moved online. Although some people still prefer the face-to-face interaction of in-person classes, online classes have been shown to be as effective. People can now join a class from anywhere in the country and regional differences in speaking can be a great tester of your ability.
A lipreading challenge with City Lit's Lipreading and Managing Hearing Loss tutor Nicola HIcks.
Study Lipreading at City Lit
City Lit offers taster, beginners and advanced lipreading courses in-person and online to help with managing hearing loss. Sign up today to learn alongside other people experiencing similar issues.
