Aren't the Paris Olympics such an entertaining and gut wrenching experience? They've really shifted the games into something wonderful, and a little nudge of recognition to the equal representation of female athletes this year! 50/50 females and males!
What I absolutely love about the Olympics is the absolute emotions of sweat and tears these athletes bring to their sport. The ones who win, the ones who stumble, and the ones who come last, it's all such an emotional roller coaster. But, what they all have in common is the ability to keep going. We don't get to see the years they put into their sports, the tears, the early mornings, the double or triple training sessions, or what they give up to get to the Olympics, we only get to see the emotions on the day of their event.
This is important to acknowledge, because a lot of these analogies I write about here today can be linked back to your hearing or tinnitus journey. Of course, this is generalised information and when it comes to healthcare, you need to see your health professional.
The Olympics of your hearing health and tinnitus journey
I want to pay tribute to Meg Harris, an Australian swimmer with moderate hearing loss and her commitment to being the best she can be. Meg has won a whole bunch of medals across her swimming career, and she has done a damn fine job of representing Australia on the global swimming stage. She says "you don't need to hear to swim." And I would some what agree with her here.
I read an article where she talks about the start of the swimming race, and the stress of not being able to hear the start line whistle or the 'go' beep. Whilst Meg wears her hearing aids in everyday life, she doesn't swim with them. Side note, please don't swim with your hearing aids, like you wouldn't swim with your smartphone, your hearing aids are water resistant but not water proof (despite claims). Can you imagine the stress, frustrations and angst in this situation?
Wouldn't it be great if there was an additional way to signal to swimmers that it was take-off time? A more inclusive way to signal a race has started?I've been thinking about this situation, and the other swimmers who may wear ear plugs (like in the image below, Aussie Swimmer Arnie Titmus with ear plugs holding swim cap) and swimming caps (or double swim caps) to cover their ears during their race. This would muffle or dampen some of the background noise at these swimming meets, let alone adding a hearing loss to the mix. What if the starting blocks also lit up 'green' at the same time as the whistle signaling to 'go' went off? This might be more inclusive and take that stress off the swimmers who are solely relying on hearing and listening. Also, great for the listeners or watchers who are distracted by the loud crowds cheering.
I'd love to hear what other ideas you might have to make sporting events, like swimming, more inclusive for everyone.
Back to the hearing health or tinnitus journey aspect. Hearing loss and tinnitus rehabilitation takes commitment. You will have some days when wearing your hearing aids can feel like a burden, but you should persist. Wearing your hearing aids on the harder days helps build your resilience and your habits for hearing rehabilitation, then on the other days, it seems more manageable. Similar for tinnitus rehabilitation, there isn't a one stop pill that can resolve your tinnitus. The rehabilitation required is on-going. There will be days when engaging and doing the brain training feels hard, but the outcomes in the long term will show improvements.
A bit like an athlete or an Olympic athlete. They've dedicated time and effort to pursing their goals. There are moments of tears, frustrations and to balance these, there are gold-medal moments and there are easier training sessions.
It's similar for hearing or tinnitus rehab. There are moments when you can hear your partner clearly and ask them for no repeats, but there might be times when you need to ask them to repeat again, even with your hearing aids on. The same goes for tinnitus rehab. There may be times when your tinnitus is not intrusive or evident, and there may be times when your tinnitus (the ringing in your ears or head) is terribly loud or distracting. The journey to success is varied for all, and it takes time. Again, a bit like the Olympic athlete, success will come, and this is determined by the effort you put in.
I like this opportunity of reflection from the week of the Olympics so far. I admire the dedication, the sweat, the tears and the little understanding I have of professional sports that I can relate to hearing health and tinnitus rehabilitation.
Sometimes I hear from my client's about how they don't want to wear their hearing aids or how they want to skip their tinnitus rehab. On these days I tell them to contact me and I help reassure (coach) them of WHY they are doing what they are doing.
Like being an athlete, being on your hearing or tinnitus rehabilitation journey takes commitment, and we can expect some emotional changes. We don't always get to see the hard work you put into your goals, and most times we get to share the benefits of your successes or your training (reduced listening efforts, less requests for repeats, smoother conversations, less frustrations from your partner etc), but at the end of the day, I always remind my clients, you get out what you put into this rehabilitation journey and I am hear to support or coach you to achieve the best that you can with the resources we have.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the above and how your hearing or tinnitus journey is going. Please share, comment of email to chat more.
Take care and Cheers to your ears and hearing!
Kathryn Penno
Founder & Principal Audiologist
#hearingloss #hearinghealth #hearingaids #tinnitus #tinnitushelp #hearingrehab #auralrehab #swimmerswithhearingloss #ringinginmyears #audpeeps #audiologist #audiologistPerth #H
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