The idyllic scenes typically depicted for the holiday season showcase lots of smiling, happy families and friends getting together in times of great joy and togetherness. Sadly, the holidays also can bring with them an increased level of stress as we strive to mirror those scenes and frequently overwhelming feelings of loneliness and isolation slip into the picture as well.
Even more unfortunate is that those suffering a hearing loss can have the negative feelings of loneliness and isolation further intensified even if they are in the center of happiness all around them.
Dr. Gyl Kasewurm and her team at Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services see it time after time. Their own studies have shown a strong correlation between hearing loss and feelings of stress, loneliness and depression.
Big holiday gatherings can be very challenging and frustrating to those who have hearing health issues due to the high levels of background noise and interactions with multiple people all at once. In fact, Dr. Gyl has had patients admit that they are prone to avoiding parties and gatherings because of the embarrassment or difficulty brought on by hearing loss, and that only further exacerbates the loneliness and perpetuates the cycle of self-imposed isolation.
The good news is, there are lots of strategies and steps that you can take to avoid singing the “Holiday Blues.”
- The first thing you should do to improve the situation is to schedule time with Dr. Kasewurm and the team at Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services. She and her team of specialists can assure you that, first and foremost, you will receive the best treatment available.
- Understand, the new technology available in the market today is decidedly not “your father’s hearing aids,” the kind that would whistle, and buzz, and create feedback noises consistently adding to the embarrassment factor. Hearing aids today are generally smaller, more comfortable, and in many cases can be controlled in a multitude of ways right from your smartphone.
- As you venture into the holiday season, ease the stress and avoid the loneliness by communicating with family and friends. Make certain they know about your hearing loss and how they can help with simple things like facing you during conversations, speaking clearly, and repeating things if necessary.
- Don’t avoid parties and gatherings. Instead, actually make plans to attend such events with family and friends, but also make sure you can score some down time to rest and recharge between events, because dealing with hearing loss can prove to be exhausting work.
- Continue the family traditions that have given you great joy over the years, don’t set them aside because hearing loss seems to make them more difficult. If you used to bake Christmas cookies, bake Christmas cookies this year. If you love venturing into the snow for a quiet walk with loved ones, take that walk — it could be the easiest tradition to keep alive, because everyone can use it as a quiet time of contemplation of the awe of nature and the beauty of your hometown neighborhood.
- Talk to Dr. Gyl about remedies for your hearing loss, and ask if your personal insurance benefits cover the options she has available in the house. There are so many different opportunities, nobody should suffer hearing loss without some form of relief and assistance with devices of all types, price ranges, and degrees of sophistication.
- Form a bond with others in your situation. There are millions of hearing impaired Americans walking among us, many with untreated hearing loss. You can become part of a support system and be helped yourself at one and the same time.
- Don’t give up. Before you throw in the towel and decide that the holidays are more than you can deal with, give yourself every chance possible to remedy the situation, to get the help that you need from Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services, and to not only join the festivities but even become the life of the party.
The “Holiday Blues” can strike for many reasons, but the one population it doesn’t have to impact is the hearing challenged if you take the time to employ some of the great tips that can get you directly back into the spirit of the season. Make the most treasured gift you give this season the gift of getting back into that spirit by giving yourself the best options to hear and enjoy family and friends in the best way possible.
Give yourself the gift of a trip to Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services for a renewed sense of life, fun, and better hearing health this holiday season. You can find the team at 511 Renaissance Drive in St. Joseph and by phone at 269-982-3444. This Christmas…smile from ear to ear with the help of Dr. Kasewurm’s Professional Hearing Services.
