5 Tips to Hearing Better at Dinner

Hearing a conversation at the dinner table can pose a challenge with hearing loss. It also frustrates your loved ones, often leaving you feeling depressed and isolated. Missing conversations, especially with your immediate family during nightly meals or during major holiday gatherings is wearisome. You feel left out with jokes and family stories. Therefore, to help you hear better at the dinner table, try these five tips below.

Reduce the music’s volume

Music in the background while dining is nice, but it may be too loud and drown out conversations. Turn the music down. Competing sounds, including the television, only aggravate a situation. Turn off the music or television completely if possible.

Fix the lighting

​Reading lips is a way someone with hearing loss adapts to hearing conversations. But poor lighting will make it more difficult to do. Change the angle of the lighting fixture or turn up the light at the dinner table to better view your family’s lips moving.  

Put your back to the wall

Your placement at the table can determine how well you hear what’s being said. Keep your back to a wall to block out any excessive background noise.

Vocalize your needs

Ask your family to repeat things, instead of just going along with what’s being said. If you are a guest at someone else’s house, tell them you have hearing problems in advance. You can then inform them of what ways they can make sure you can hear.

Schedule a hearing test

If hearing is a problem, schedule an appointment to get your hearing tested. A hearing specialist can determine your hearing levels and find you the best hearing aids, so you can enjoy conversations again. Even normal hearing is challenged by all the noise during holiday gatherings, but a struggle to hear on an everyday basis is a cause for concern and is a call to action. The five tips above, in the meantime, can help you hear the important things. However, to be sure you have the best hearing, contact a hearing instrument specialist at Pure Sound Hearing Aids for more help.

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