How to Treat Multiple Sclerosis Hearing Loss
Hearing loss due to Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is uncommon. Only 6 percent of patients with MS have been diagnosed with hearing loss due to the disease. Most cases are due to the progression of the illness and can't be corrected, but there are cases that may be unrelated to the disease that can be treated.
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Instructions
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Talk with your doctor to determine if the hearing loss came on quickly or was a slower process. Sometimes flare ups of Multiple Sclerosis symptoms occur and can possibly go away again.
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Consider wearing hearing devices if the loss is interrupting your everyday life. Your doctor will probably send you to a hearing specialist for an exam and fitting for a hearing aide.
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Let your doctor know if you have been feeling depressed or anxious. Hearing loss can lead to these conditions due to the embarrassment felt when in social situations.
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Purchase text telephones and televisions with closed captioning to as additional assistance with hearing loss.
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Find out if there are any medications that may help the hearing loss. People with multiple sclerosis can suffer a slow loss of hearing that is not reversible. Remember your hearing loss could be completely unrelated to the disease.
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Inform your friends and family of the hearing problem. Tell them you can hear them better if they stand within 3 feet and face you directly when speaking. Over time, learn to read lips.
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Learn sign language. If your doctor tells you there is no chance of your hearing coming back, consider taking a sign language class. This is only helpful if your family and friends will learn with you.
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Tips & Warnings
Turn off the television or radio when you are trying to have a conversation. The less background noise, the better.
Avoiding places with a lot of background noise may help you hear one person better.
If you get frustrated with people shouting at you, let them know it isn't helping.
Don't deal with the hearing loss on your own. Tell your doctor and enlist the help of friends and family.
