How to Spot, and Talk About, Hearing Loss in a Loved One

TUESDAY, Dec. 31, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- You're gathering with friends or family and something's just a bit off in conversation with a loved one.

It could be new-onset hearing loss, said Dr. Angela Peng, an otolaryngologist at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Some of the telltale signs that someone's hearing might be failing include:

• The person simply nods and smiles when listening to others, rather than fully engaging in the conversation

• They choose to sit off by themselves, rather than join in conversations like they used to

• They decline invitations to large gatherings because they can't hear individuals' speech in loud, crowded rooms

When folks gather, there's often "a lot of people talking around you and background noise, whether that is with music or conversations, and people with hearing loss have a hard time listening when there is a lot of noise,” Peng explained. She's an assistant professor of otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at Baylor. 

Especially among seniors, none of this is unexpected, because hearing does tend to decline as people age.

If a loved one appears to have trouble hearing, you can gently bring up the subject, Peng said.

Asking them if they've seen an audiologist and/or an ear, nose and throat physician for a hearing check might be warranted, she said.

Typically, an audiologist performs hearing tests that gauge the person's ability to hear sounds and clearly differentiate words. If a person performs poorly on the test, they might be referred to an ENT specialist, just to check if any underlying conditions are related to the hearing trouble.

Luckily, solutions are easily found, Peng said.

“Hearing aids are appropriate for the first signs of hearing loss, but if the hearing worsens, we might consider a cochlear implant, which requires surgery. With this, a more thorough discussion is needed,” Peng said in a Baylor news release. 

In the meantime, she offered up tips to communicating with people experiencing hearing loss.

If it's at a gathering, move your conversation to a quieter area for any one-on-one talk. Raising your voice won't always help, but talking a bit more slowly and enunciating words carefully can.

“If a person’s hearing loss is related to clarity or the understanding of words, no matter how loud you talk, the message to them will still sound garbled,” Peng explained.

SOURCE: Baylor College of Medicine, news release, Dec. 18, 2024