Gael Hannan

Gael Hannan is an author, speaker and advocate on hearing loss issues. In addition to her weekly blog at the Better Hearing Consumer, which has a passionate international following, Gael has written two acclaimed books, “The Way I Hear It: A Life with Hearing Loss”and “Hear & Beyond: Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss”, written with Shari Eberts. She is regularly invited to present her uniquely humorous and insightful work to appreciative audiences around the world. Gael has received many awards for her work that advocates for individuals to become more knowledgeable and successful at dealing with their hearing loss and a more inclusive society for them to live in.

Featured image for “Why Advocates Like Me Welcome the New Hearing Aid Ruling”

Why Advocates Like Me Welcome the New Hearing Aid Ruling

by Katherine Bouton People with hearing loss got a bit of a break last week when the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is considering creating a new category of over-the-counter hearing aids. The aim, it said, would be to encourage “new, innovative, lower-cost products to millions of consumers.” Thirty million Americans suffer age-related hearing loss. Only

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Ho, Ho, Ho, I’m a HoH! Surviving the Hearing Holidays

Q: At the start of every holiday season, what’s more common than cookie recipes and decorating ideas? A: Articles on how to survive the holiday season! buy https://24ehealthclubs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/flomax.html online https://24ehealthclubs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/flomax.html no prescription pharmacy They fall like snowflakes on social media, these survival-blogs that offer advice on coping with the annual issues of season – loneliness, depression, finances, family dysfunction, grief—and

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Help Us to Hear the Words of Faith

Note from editor Gael Hannan: Mary Dyer, my guest writer this week, lost her hearing – and then realized how people like her were being sidelined in congregations of faith. She set out to do something about it. This blog is adapted with permission from her article in ‘Sojourners’, “Please Hear Those of Us Who Can’t”. by Mary Dyer

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The Mumbler & Me

The man had a gift—I’ll give him that. The customer service rep at the driver’s licence office had the astounding ability to talk with scarcely a hint of lip movement. Seriously, he had an ironclad orbicularis oris, the large, complex muscle system that controls the lips. In conversations, his lips didn’t respond to any standard emotional orders from his brain

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Metz’s Medicine and Audiology – Part 2

by Mike Metz Getting back to our roots, James Jerger’s editorial in a recent trade publication (Jerger, J, Audiology Today, Is It Time to Panic? Sep/Oct, 2016), raises some issues that may prove pivotal to the field. And impending changes to the scope and practice of audiology may get some help from a peculiar source, especially in light of

Featured image for “Does Medicine Need Audiology? Part 1”

Does Medicine Need Audiology? Part 1

By Mike Metz A friend recently asked me for an audiology referral because he had a unilateral hearing problem along with some other rather vague symptoms. I sent him on but then began thinking of the differences in audiology now versus audiology in years past. Many audiologists work in a medical office setting, overseen by a physician. This group may

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The New Voices in My Head

Technology can be life-changing – and weird. Guest writer David Drake, who last year wrote about upholding the family hearing aid tradition, shares his experiences with a new hearing aid/cellphone combination. by David Drake This past year, I started hearing some new voices in my head when I’m on the phone. My new set of hearing aids

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How Does Your Hearing Spouse Rate?

If you have hearing loss, do you wish that your partner did, as well? Communication would still have its challenges, but at least the frustration wouldn’t include “you don’t understand what I’m going through”. It would be more like, “if you can’t hear me through walls, what makes you think I can?” I’m in a mixed marriage myself; my husband is

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When Father and Son Both Say “Pardon?”

Jerry Russell is an online friend in the community of people with hearing loss who share their common challenges, frustrations, and words of encouragement. Jerry tells his story of when hearing loss is a family affair. I’m rehearsing in my head what I’m about to say to my dad as I approach him. He’s sitting in his favorite chair

Featured image for “When You’re Going Through Hell…”

When You’re Going Through Hell…

“…keep going.” I came across this delicious bit of inspiration on a particularly bad day: tinnitus and hyperacusis were battling for supremacy inside my cranium. It was hard not to focus on the hellish noise, but these words caught my attention. They even made me smile, because they reflected exactly how I felt at that moment—hellish. And ka-ching! Suddenly my