Please provide some do's and don'ts on living with hearing loss.

Ignore: Let people know, use a hearing aide, try to read lips. Do not act like your hearing is fine.

Ignore: Ask people to move their hands away from their mouth whe speaking to you, so you can see their words.

Ignore: Explore appropriate hearing aid devices. Follow people's lips as they speak. Outings in quiet places.

Ignore: Acknowledge the issue. Wearing a hearing aid is less embarrassing than asking people to repeat.

Do see your doctor: See your doctor or audiologist to determine what type of loss you have don't assume nothing can be done for hearing loss.

Ignore: There are many different types of hearing aides so get tested and explore all your options.

Ignore: Don't wait too long to get hearing aids, you lose speech understanding ability you can't get back!

Ignore: Tell people to speak directly to you and to talk more slowly. Do not deny it, get hearing aids.

Ignore: Get an audiogram to evaluate WHAT TYPE of HL you have, some will require hearing aids, but not all.

Ignore: Ask those around you to speak more slowly and clearly. If struggling don't put off a hearing eval.

Ignore: Noise avoidance is the single most important tip to maintain good hearing throughout our lifetime.

Ask: Ask others to talk more slowly and clearly and not to obstruct their mouths.

If: If you have a good ear, place yourself so that it is facing the speaker.

Different: Different environments pose unique challenges. Get creative!

When: When attending a meeting, get an agenda so that you know the topics that will be discussed.

In: In a lecture, ask if you may tape record the speaker so that you can review the details later.

Don't: Don't avoid situations where you have to communicate with others.

If: If you work around loud noises (outside at an airport for ex). WEAR Ear/Hearing protection!

Don't: Don't get ripped off by hearing aide companies. Make sure you see a reputable health care pro.

You: You have a valuable contribution to make to conversation: so be assertive!

Tell: Tell people what it is you need them to do to help you communicate better.

Remind: Remind yourself that you are important, you have a right to ask people to cooperate.

Realize: Realize that silence can be healing and will help you to develop a rich and fulfilling inner life.

Enjoy: Enjoy things which do not need hearing, such as the beauties of Nature, literature and art.

Discover: Discover that other gifts can be developed instead of hearing, such as an appreciation of colors.

Give: Give yourself permission to grieve over your loss of hearing.

If: If your getting hearing loss, see the Dr. You may just need your ears cleaned!

When: When talking, try to keep your hands away from your face.

If: If you are a smoker, hold the cigarette in your hands while talking to a person with hearing loss.

Don't: Don't cover your mouth or lips! Most listeners make use of lip-reading.

To: To help with lip-reading, do not talk with food in your mouth and do not chew gum.

When: When dealing with a hearing impaired person, speak distinctly, but without exaggeration.

When: When dealing with hearing impaired, Try not to mumble, as this is very hard to understand.

When: When dealing with hearing impaired, speak at a normal rate, not too fast or too slow.

When: When dealing with hearing impaired, use pauses rather than slow speech, to let them process it.

If: If the listener has difficulty understanding something you said, find a different way of saying it.

Ignore: Keep ear wax cleaned out of the canal by seeing your doctor, not using q-tips!

Hearing: Hearing aides can help you to enjoy life and many are so small that you don't even notice them!

Ignore: To improve reception of sound without the use of a hearing aid, cup your hand around your ear.

Ignore: Do use hearing protection when going to concerts and using loud lawn equipment.