Better Hearing Consumer

Featured image for “The Shortest Audiology Course Ever”
Oct. 11, 2023

The Shortest Audiology Course Ever

Gael Hannan
I love hearing care professionals (HCP). Simply put, they help me hear better with their technology expertise, after I’ve settled into a comfortable relationship with an audiologist I trust and who communicates well. I have just spent a few days with my coauthor Shari Eberts at the AudBoss conference, attended by HCPs in private practice. It was a fabulous event
Featured image for “Responding to the Two Most Painful Words”
Sep. 26, 2023

Responding to the Two Most Painful Words

Gael Hannan
  Last week, I shared an article by Lauren Sherwood about the most painful words a person with hearing loss can be told when asking for something to be repeated. “Never mind.” “Don’t worry about it.” “Oh, nothing.” “It wasn’t important.” The person who responds this way may honestly feel it wasn’t worth repeating, but it’s not their call to
Featured image for “The Two Most Painful Words (Still)”
Sep. 19, 2023

The Two Most Painful Words (Still)

Gael Hannan
The following article, written by Lauren Sherwood in 2014, almost 10 years ago, is the most widely viewed article ever on HHTM. Her words still resonate with people who have hearing loss and their communication partners. Thank you, Lauren. I am one of an estimated 3.5 million hard-of-hearing Canadians. This doesn’t mean I don’t hear people. Every day, I hear conversations
Featured image for “The Craziness of the New Hearing Aid User”
Sep. 11, 2023

The Craziness of the New Hearing Aid User

Gael Hannan
Last week, I had rare hearing aid catastrophe which, for once, didn’t happen on a weekend. As I wait for the new one to arrive, I got to thinking about previous first days with new hearing aids. Day 1 11 am:  Just got home. I hate to admit this, but about two miles after leaving the clinic, I pulled over. It
Featured image for ““Have a Sense of Humor!”, They Say!”
Sep. 05, 2023

“Have a Sense of Humor!”, They Say!

Gael Hannan
In article after book after website about living well with hearing loss, maintaining a sense of humor ranks high on the list of recommended strategies. When I read the advice suggesting we keep our hearing loss funny bone active, I want to yell, “But what if you don’t have one?” I’m not talking about getting jokes or being witty; I’m
Featured image for “Hearing Aid Envy!”
Aug. 29, 2023

Hearing Aid Envy!

Gael Hannan
It’s a funny thing about hearing aid users. Our relationship with our devices, like any relationship, has its peaks and valleys. Some people tear them off at the end of the day for  ‘peace and quiet’, while others wait until just before sleep, absorbing the last bit of sound from their day. In the early days, most of us drag
Featured image for “What’s In Our Hearing Loss Stars?”
Aug. 14, 2023

What’s In Our Hearing Loss Stars?

Gael Hannan
Do you read your horoscope? I like to peek at mine now and again, because not only am I not psychic, sometimes I have trouble knowing what’s going on now, thanks to my hearing loss, which wipes out some of the clues. Sometimes my daily horoscope is a bullseye and other times it’s so far off I wonder if my
Featured image for “Absorbing the Shocks of Hearing Loss”
Aug. 09, 2023

Absorbing the Shocks of Hearing Loss

Gael Hannan
Hearing loss is one of those gifts that keeps on giving. Once you have it, your hearing loss presents itself to you every day, in different ways. A poorly captioned TV show, a sales clerk whose lips point to her computer, a conversation with friends that spins out of control into incomprehension. Regardless of when hearing loss first occurs, experiencing one
Featured image for ““Turn Down for What?” by Tiffany Storrs”
Aug. 02, 2023

“Turn Down for What?” by Tiffany Storrs

Gael Hannan
Hearing health advocate, author and actress, Tiffany Storrs, who wears a Cochlear implant, unpacks why you really should. I’ll admit, DJ Snake and Lil Jon’s popular hit “Turn Down for What” has catchy lyrics and a funky beat, but in a literal context, “Fire up that loud” screams a hazardous message to directly ignore the fact that more than 1
Featured image for “Shocking Sounds of Better Hearing”
Jul. 25, 2023

Shocking Sounds of Better Hearing

Gael Hannan
Most sounds fade away at some point or cease to surprise us, but others retain their shock appeal until – well, forever! When I received a cochlear implant on the right side in 2017, life changed – especially my auditory landscape. Not only did sounds become louder, but I seemed to be hearing many as if for the first time.