ABSTRACT
The first concern of a physician who is consulted by a patient with a hearing problem
should be to put him at ease. The patient is likely to be anxious because he/she already has suffered much embarrassment from failure to understand other people who have not
always been patient with his handicap. The first step is to face the patient and to speak
in a distinct and moderate tone. If the patient is wearing a hearing aid, there usually is
no need to use a loud voice, but it helps to speak slowly and distinctly.
