Chronicles of a deaf Audiologist
Rehabilitation beyond hearing aids and cochlear implants: lipreading instruction, brain/auditory training and communication strategies.
Success for Hearing Better
HEARa is dedicated to the idea that people need the right information, at the right times, to be successful with hearing loss. HEARa’s mission is to reach out to adults with hearing loss and say—keep going. Learning about your hearing loss should be a lifelong process.
Areas of interest for hearing improvement
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From the chronicles
The average person takes 7 years to act on hearing loss
The average person waits 7 years to act on hearing loss. Research tells us that people adjust to hearing loss before they even acknowledge that the hearing loss exists. People around you make adjustments too, again without explicitly discussing them. If you feel overwhelmed about taking action, ask for support. You can start by gathering […]
How is hearing loss different from vision loss?
Hearing loss is different from vision loss in a number of ways. One significant way that hearing loss is different is that, with hearing loss, we have to ask other people to change their behaviour. Asking other people to adjust the way that they communicate is not a comfortable place to be, at times. In […]
What to do if your dog eats your hearing aid!
Pets are notorious for putting anything and everything in their mouths. Check their mouth to retrieve the device and check for any broken-off pieces. Batteries are dangerous for your pet, so if your hearing aids are swallowed, seek medical attention. If you can retrieve the hearing aids and there is no visible damage, clean the […]
How do you deal with a spouse who is Hard of Hearing?
While it’s important to advocate for a significant other with hearing loss, be aware that you can over-do it. I have occasionally been on the receiving end of the overdoing. It was embarrassing. But it galvanized me to take responsibility for my own communication needs. In some situations, I might not disclose my hearing loss […]
Learning How to Read Lips No. 8
Substitution practice is really effective! When you develop this skill, you can make educated guesses if the first thing you see, or hear, doesn’t make sense. Try it out in the video clip below. If you want more practice, check out my Lipreading Challenge on YouTube.
Taking action about hearing loss
Lately, I have noticed a sadness and a reluctance in some clients, about having to take action about hearing loss. At the same time, there is a realization that it is finally time to get hearing aids. I noticed the “AND.” Sadness, reluctance, AND going ahead anyway. Those things can co-exist! It’s progress when difficult […]
Use your Vision to Help you to Hear!
Hearing technology is better than ever before. And yet, at times, background noise can obscure what we want to hear. Why not use another dominant sense in communication – vision – to help figure out what we are missing? One such strategy is SUBSTITUTION. If you know which sounds look alike, you can do a […]
6 Daily Habits for People with Hearing Loss
Here are my six suggested daily habits to manage hearing loss: Eat healthfully. Research has found a Mediterranean diet to be beneficial for ear health. Express appreciation to people in your life who support your communication needs. Exercise regularly– your ears will thank you when your blood sugar and blood pressure levels are as close […]
Tension reliever for people with hearing loss
People with hearing loss (PWHL) have to deal with a great deal of ambiguity in communication. At times, the ambiguity and listening effort can be stressful. I think tension relievers are really important for PWHL. Below is a short video from Huberman Lab, about one of my favourite tension relievers. It’s called the physiological sigh. […]
Online classes available for people with hearing loss
Can you imagine a space that allows people with hearing loss (PWHL) to get resources, tools, and develop skills to reach their full potential? My online classes are geared towards adults with acquired hearing loss and include lipreading instruction and communication strategies. The next series starts soon! Link for more information is https://heara.ca/programs/ A full […]