Better Hearing Consumer

Featured image for “When It’s Time to Change Your Hearing Care Professional”
Oct. 02, 2024

When It’s Time to Change Your Hearing Care Professional

Gael Hannan
  I am a big fan of hearing care professionals, both as a group and individually. Regardless of their designation, I respect and applaud the audiologists and hearing instrument specialists who have chosen the life of a clinician, researcher, industry representative and clinic owner – or a personal combination of these practices. As members of the field of hearing care
Featured image for “The Big Communication-Accessible Trip to Europe”
Sep. 09, 2024

The Big Communication-Accessible Trip to Europe

Gael Hannan
I’ll admit it – I’m excited! For most of this month, I will be in Europe (Poland, Germany and France) with girlfriends to celebrate a birthday of significance. And while any big trip requires preparation, there are a few extra things on the packing list for people with hearing loss. Because I often travel on my own for business, it’s
Featured image for “Do People Wish You’d Shut Up About Hearing Loss?”
Aug. 27, 2024

Do People Wish You’d Shut Up About Hearing Loss?

Gael Hannan
Does this happen to you? Someone asks you about your hearing aids, or cochlear implant, or ask how long you’ve had ‘it’. And as you start talking, eyes glaze over as your family or friends listen to that same hearing loss talk once again. When I told the Hearing Husband that this week’s blog topic is about whether people (i.e.
Featured image for “The Social Cringe of “Talking Over””
Aug. 13, 2024

The Social Cringe of “Talking Over”

Gael Hannan
  I had one of those hearing loss cringe-moments last night. Actually, it was this morning. OK, it happened last night, but I found out about it this morning, when the Hearing Husband pointed out what I had done last night: repeatedly talked over another person. Apparently, as they talked, I loudly chimed in, more than once and on a
Featured image for “Don’t You ‘Never Mind’ Me!”
Jul. 31, 2024

Don’t You ‘Never Mind’ Me!

Gael Hannan
  Hearing loss is a big, bottomless bowl of emotional soup. The constant challenges of hearing loss keep our emotions in play: sometimes softer and manageable, often more painful and exhausting. And we don’t do one emotion at a time! Hearing loss is more complicated than that; emotions are close to the surface, always ready to erupt. Let’s say I’m
Featured image for “Please Change How You Speak…I Have Hearing Loss”
Jul. 15, 2024

Please Change How You Speak…I Have Hearing Loss

Gael Hannan
  Fact #1: If a conversation is to survive, both parties need to understand the other. Otherwise, it’s not a dialogue but two monologues. Fact #2: People with hearing loss often don’t understand what the other person is saying. This is also an incomplete conversation: one monologue and one chunk of confusion. In conversations, people with hearing loss often ask
Featured image for “Praise for Hearing Aids (Both Human & Tech)”
Jul. 02, 2024

Praise for Hearing Aids (Both Human & Tech)

Gael Hannan
  The annual convention of the Hearing Loss Association of America just wrapped up in Phoenix, Arizona. This means I must wait an entire year for the next one in Indianapolis, Indiana. (I’m clarifying the states for one of my sisters-in-hearing loss who is geographically challenged. I’m  Canadian and good at American geography. I do what I can to help.)
Featured image for “Leaning In for Hearing Help”
Jun. 17, 2024

Leaning In for Hearing Help

Gael Hannan
  Is this you? You’ve done all you can to hear and understand in a difficult listening situation, especially one that involves several people chatting and talking over each other. You’ve positioned yourself in the optimal position. The other people know what you need but still, in the flurry of animated voices, speaking and responding, you’ve fallen behind. There are
Featured image for “Self-Forgiveness: A Great Hearing Hack!”
Jun. 05, 2024

Self-Forgiveness: A Great Hearing Hack!

Gael Hannan
  Oh darn, I did it again. I slid into bluffing mode! Hey, the conversation was a nightmare to follow – it was noisy and I didn’t know the people very well. There were several things I could have done to not bluff, but they involved time, disruption, and putting more value on the casual conversation than I was prepared
Featured image for “Let’s Amplify (and not just with Hearing Aids)!”
May. 22, 2024

Let’s Amplify (and not just with Hearing Aids)!

Gael Hannan
  Amplification (abridged from Oxford Dictionary) the process of increasing the volume of sound, especially using an amplifier (such as hearing aids or cochlear implants.) the action of enlarging upon or adding detail to a story (such as telling others about our hearing loss and articulating our needs.) the action of making something more marked or intense (such as increasing