These days it seems like everyone
is interested in self improvement, and this is a good thing. Most people are
trying to eat better, exercise more, and take care of themselves to live
healthier more active lives. Society as a whole is on a “self-improvement”
band-wagon right now, and this is spilling over into many avenues. People want
to look their best, so in addition to eating well and exercising, we see an
increase in adults wearing braces in an effort to give themselves a better
smile and appearance; plastic surgery is even becoming more commonplace as a
means of “self improvement”. People also want to perform their best at
whichever activity or past time they participate in. From golf lessons to dance
instruction, people are looking for new ways to enrich their lives and improve
their skill. Self-improvement is a great new trend, as people are trying to be
their best, and live their best lives. Just as people are aiming to improve
their appearance and skill, so too should an effort be made to improve
communication.
As
mentioned before in previous articles, communication is a two way street that
involves both talking and listening. Listening is a skill in and of itself, and
few people are truly great listeners. An essential component to listening is of
course hearing. Few people actually take the time to question their hearing
ability, until they develop a significant hearing loss. But how do we know if
our hearing is affected unless we have it assessed? Hearing is a sense that we
use everyday, and even as it begins to decline, we can still use it in a
somewhat effective fashion by asking people to repeat themselves, getting
closer to the sound, or turning up the volume. These are strategies we use to
compensate for difficulty hearing, without thinking twice that there may be an
underlying hearing loss present. In some situations it may be normal to have
difficulty hearing someone, for example in a crowded restaurant. However if you
are having trouble hearing in a fairly quiet situation, it may be a sign that
your hearing is on the decline. In any case, if you are not having your hearing
assessed, you have no way of knowing if you are actually hearing at your best
ability.
I’ll use
the analogy of going to the dentist. Many people will go to the dentist at
least once a year for a check up. On some occasions, the dentist may tell you
that you have a cavity that needs to be filled. This may come as a surprise, as
you were not getting any symptoms or having any problems with your teeth.
Usually you will take the dentists advice, and have the cavity filled. If you
had not kept your annual appointment with the dentist, the cavity would not
have been detected, and probably would have continued to get worse and
eventually become quite bothersome and painful. The same is true for your
hearing. If you do not have your hearing checked on a regular basis, how can
you really know that you are hearing and performing at your best? The truth is
there is no way to know, unless you have it professionally assessed. Hearing
loss begins so gradually that many people will go years, waiting until it has
started to make a very negative impact on their lives before doing anything
about it. The trouble with this is, the longer you wait to seek help with your
hearing the more challenging it will be to get improvement in the future.
Hearing is a sense that needs to be actively used, and unfortunately “if you
don’t use it, you lose it”.
Hearing
assistance does not necessarily mean hearing aids or devices. If you are
monitoring your hearing on a regular basis, and a mild hearing change is
detected, the audiologist can provide you with communication tools and
strategies to improve your current hearing needs. An audiologist receives a
wealth of training on both hearing aids as well as hearing rehabilitation, and
can provide you with tools to truly hear your best. In an age of self-improvement,
looking your best, and performing your best, it is really surprising how many
people will refuse or ignore the importance of good hearing. I feel that if you
really want to be your best, you must strive for your absolute best hearing.
Audiocorp has three full time audiologists and offers complimentary hearing
checks. If you are striving to be and hear your best, we would love to help you
reach your goals.
