Better Hearing Consumer

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

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

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

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

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

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.

One of the top activities in the life of a person with hearing loss is asking for something to be repeated. And repeated. And repeated. Even when a listening situation is optimal – there’s lots of light, no noise, the other person(s) are facing you and speaking clearly – there are bound to be moments where you must ask, “What

Today I’m speaking at a conference of people with hearing loss – one of my favorite things to do. The shared emotions and experiences of people who ‘get’ each other is eternally inspiring to me. Usually, I have a grateful soul. I’m thankful for technology, the support of others and the passion for advocacy that my hearing loss has given

In last week’s article, I relived the agonies of waiting for my name to be called in a busy clinic. Here’s the next part of the all-too-common medical appointment story. Having escaped from the waiting room zoo, I was waiting to see my new ENT specialist in, hallelujah, a real room, with a door. My previous ENT believed in the

On a recent road trip in the US, I needed to talk to my doctor in Canada. A simple, accessible telehealth appointment cleared up my issue. On the screen and using my assistive devices, I could see him, hear him and speechread him. I didn’t have to ask him to speak louder, because I controlled the volume on my devices.