HLAA Videos Offer Help On Hearing Loss

New accurate information about hearing loss, its causes and what to do about it is now available. The Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA) contracted with Knowlera Media to produce a series of seven, four-minute, captioned videos on hearing loss. Information to adequately brief someone on hearing loss is all in one place in an easy-to-access format.

If you think you have a hearing loss or know someone who does, please point them to the videos where hearing health care professionals and people with hearing loss talk about what you can do about it.

The message throughout the videos is that just about everyone can be helped with their hearing loss. But the first step is to acknowledge it and get a proper diagnosis. The message also stresses that you do not have to simply live with hearing loss. The Hearing Loss Association of America gathered a team of hearing health care professionals to cover the following topics:

• Hearing Loss Basic Facts 
• Hearing Loss Symptoms
• Hearing Loss Diagnosis 
• Hearing Loss Treatments
• Living with Hearing Loss
• Hearing Loss Causes and Prevention
• Hearing Aids, Cochlear Implants and Assistive Listening Devices

In addition to sound medical and audio logical advice, two Hearing Loss Association of America members, Reed Doughty and Bonnie O’Leary shared their experiences with hearing loss.

Reed Doughty, Washington Redskins safety, first obtained hearing aids during his NFL career. When he first got to the Redskins he didn’t wear hearing aids although he needed them. When he finally got hearing aids it really improved his ability to be able to pay attention, to interact in the locker room, and engage in conversations that previously would have been very difficult for him.

He realizes looking back on his childhood that there was a stigma and wishes he would have gotten hearing aids earlier. He believes that kids need to have self-esteem and put themselves in the best situation for school and for a fun and active lifestyle.

Bonnie O’Leary, late-deafened adult and now a certified hearing loss support specialist shared that it was her children who first noticed her hearing loss. When they would talk to her from the back seat of the car and she didn’t answer or they talked to her from another room she could hear but not understand her children knew that she wasn’t hearing quite the way she used to.

The last video includes suggestions for finding mutual support through HLAA Chapters and information about the Hearing Loss Association of America and the work it does on behalf of 36 million people with hearing loss in the United States.

The message throughout is that hearing loss is a major public health concern and you do not need to hide it. With the right help, hearing loss is a daily challenge anyone can overcome.