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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

I never thought of myself as an addict, but I did end up addicted to anti-anxiety medication after developing Generalized Anxiety Disorder. At some point, the medicine stopped being a way to deal with the nervousness and panic attacks, and became something my body craved. I knew that I needed help fast. Fortunately, a local drug rehab program includes support for people like me. They helped me wean off the medication, use methods like massage therapy to help my nerves heal, and even provided ongoing counseling for our family. I don't know how I would have made it without their help. If you suspect that your medication has crossed the line from being helpful to hurtful, take heart. Let me tell you about my journey out of addiction and back to wholeness.

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Recovering from Addiction to Prescription Medications

Special Considerations For Teens Who Need Hearing Aids

by Valerie Stevens

If your teenager has hearing loss, hearing aids may have been recommended to improve hearing. As even older adults often have difficulty adjusting to a hearing impairment and the social issues surrounding hearing aids, teens frequently experience even greater difficulty. Read on to learn about four different aspects of hearing aid use particular to adolescents and what you can do to support your child's use of hearing aids.

Aesthetics and Fitting In

The teen years are probably the time in your child's life when they will be most concerned with fitting in with other kids, so wearing hearing aids that are less noticeable may be of paramount importance to your adolescent. If your child is worried about their hearing aids being noticed, you can ask your audiologist about in-the-ear or canal hearing aids, which are smaller and more discreet. Behind-the-ear hearing aids can be more easily disguised by long hair, but if your child has a short hairstyle, the former two types may be preferable. All three designs can assist with mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

Impress on them that covering up their hearing loss may not only hurt their academic progress but may impair their driving skills as well. Obtaining a drivers license and gaining autonomy through driving places is often a strong motivator for teens. 

Classroom Acoustics

One of the locations where your child's hearing is of the utmost importance is in the school classroom. Your child needs to understand that without the intervention of hearing aids, their grades can suffer, and they can fall behind or fail to progress to college-level education. It is therefore imperative that they let you and your audiologist know if they cannot hear everything in the classroom.

In addition to making changes to your child's hearing aids, the audiologist may suggest trying different seating areas in the class or recording passages for playback later. If your teen is entering college and sitting in large lecture halls, a telecoil inserted in the hearing aid can help them hear lectures delivered via microphone.

Hearing Aids and Mobile Devices

The same telecoil that assists with hearing information from public address systems can also make it easier to hear telephone conversations, no doubt a vital part of your teen's existence. Mobile devices used to present a challenge to hearing aid users, but today, many phone companies are now pairing phones to work with hearing aids for optimum sound.

Your child should be certain to tell your audiologist about any mobile devices or things like headphones they use regularly. Your hearing specialist can make sure your child's hearing aids are designed to work well with these devices. Also, consult your mobile phone carrier about the best model to work with your child's hearing aid.

Growth and Hearing Aid Fit

As your child grows, you may still need to get new hearing aids, so they fit properly and can be selected to go with the child's changing lifestyle, such as increased telephone use. Some kids have their main growth spurts during their teen years, and this includes head circumference and the size of the inner and outer ear.

You want to be sure that your child's hearing aids fit perfectly and can't easily be knocked loose during physical education or sports. Participation in rough or impact sports should be mentioned to the audiologist too.

Today's hearing aids have evolved to the point where they are hardly noticeable to anyone but the wearer. Your child should be able to find a hearing aid model that works in all acoustical settings as well as blends in with their ears and stays put when they are active. Use these points to develop a list of questions for your audiologist, and you'll be certain to find a hearing aid that makes everyone happy.

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