What Should I Do If My Parent Keeps Saying “Eh?”

It usually starts small. A word missed here, a question repeated there. Then the television is louder, phone calls are avoided, and family gatherings involve you standing closer and repeating yourself. The person at the centre of it often insists nothing is wrong.

If your parent keeps saying "eh?", here is what is actually happening and how to handle it.

Why "eh?" is worth taking seriously

Hearing loss arrives gradually, and the brain compensates so well that people genuinely do not notice the change — they assume the other person mumbled, the room was noisy, or the phone line was bad. The familiar early pattern:

• Constant repetition requests, especially in noise
• Television volume others in the house cannot tolerate
• Missing sounds they used to notice — the phone, the doorbell, a child calling
• Trouble following group conversations
• Withdrawal from church, meetings or family events that used to be enjoyable

That last one matters most. People adapt by stepping back, and isolation itself affects wellbeing — untreated hearing loss is linked to fatigue, anxiety and withdrawal.

Why they resist

Usually two reasons: stigma ("hearing aids make me look old") and denial ("it's not that bad"). Neither survives contact with a simple fact — a hearing test is free to do, painless, about an hour, and it produces information, not a commitment. You are not buying anything by getting tested.

How to start the conversation

1. Lead with a specific observation, not an accusation. "Papa, I've noticed you ask me to repeat a lot lately — have you heard that?" works better than "you're going deaf."
2. Make it about connection, not disability. The goal is that he hears the grandchildren, enjoys church, follows the family meeting.
3. Offer to go along. Booking together removes the fear of going alone.
4. Handle the results calmly. If something is found: a result is a starting point, not a verdict — options include protection, therapy, amplification or referral.
5. Keep the volume out of it. Nobody needs to win a volume argument this week.

What the appointment involves

A quick look in the ear with an otoscope, a tone test through headphones, a middle-ear check, and results explained clearly — type, if any, and degree. Painless, no needles, unhurried.

And if hearing aids turn out to be part of the answer: they are not the devices of twenty years ago, payment plans are available, and cost does not have to end the conversation.

Worried about a parent's hearing? Book a free consultation: WhatsApp 0808 680 4931 · HearMax Centre, Suite 5, Al-Barakah Plaza, Favos Junction, New Bodija, Ibadan.