The role of a grandparent is made up of the ‘little things’. Things like the first time your grandson won’t settle until ‘Gran sits with me’ or when your granddaughter simply must tell you every tiny detail about what happened in Peppa Pig this week. Whether you’re reading them a bedtime story or explaining why they really can’t run with scissors- no matter how many times they’ve seen Daddy do it- a prominent aspect of these interactions is conversation.
Children are famed for their inquisitive nature.
- ‘What is this?’
- ‘Can I have that?’
- ‘What does this do?’
- And the dreaded ‘What are you eating?’
Questions that are adorable and although we wouldn’t change a thing, at times, draining. This is even truer if you suffer from hearing loss.
Are you consistently asking your grandchild to ‘speak up’? Do they mumble? It may not be them, but rather your hearing. Children tend to have higher pitch and softer voices than adults. This can make it harder for people experiencing hearing loss to understand what they are saying and feel as if they are constantly mumbling.
As your hearing loss progresses unchecked you may find it begins to take a toll on the relationships in your life. The frustration of misunderstanding what people are saying or even missing conversations entirely can lead to feelings of hopelessness and isolation.
It’s important to realise there is a solution and even better, there is prevention. From the age of 60 it is important to get your ears checked annually and to monitor any signs of change in your hearing. Are you asking others to repeat themselves often? Are you turning up the volume of the TV to glass shattering levels? If this sounds like you, it might be time to see a professional. A free, no obligation hearing consultation with a specialist audiologist may be the answer to all your problems. Well not all of them but the ones affecting your ears? Definitely.
In our clinic we have seen countless patients walk in brimming with frustration and despair. Hearing loss has affected their lives to the point they feel disconnected from their family. Milestones and moments they wish to be a part of have become isolating and disheartening.
One of the greatest experiences as an audiologist is watching the light return to our patient’s eyes as they hear their grandchild’s laugh as clear as day for the first time in years. Or when they pick up the phone and take part in a conversation with barely a lull in conversation.
Taking care of their hearing gave them years of the lives back and you can have that too.
Get your hearing checked today and make sure you don’t miss a chance to stop those cheeky grandchildren in their tracks with the words; ‘If you don’t stop that, I’ll tell your mother.”
