Hearing Help: The Gift of Communication

It’s that time of the year when family and friends are gathering together for the holidays. If you experience hearing loss, it can feel frustrating to communicate with others. 

What can you do to Communicate Better?

If you believe that you may have hearing loss, schedule a hearing test immediately. Whether it’s mild or severe, a hearing test can determine whether you need additional treatment. 

If you do have hearing loss, your hearing instrument specialist can give proper recommendations for hearing aids. They will go over your lifestyle, goals, and budget and fit you with the appropriate devices. 

Do You Struggle to Hear in a Busy/Crowded Environment?

Wearing hearing aids is helpful, but here are some extra tips to help with communication.

1. If the room is too loud, and you’re trying to talk to someone, find a quiet room that is separate from everyone else. When there’s too much background noise, and a lot of people are talking over one another, it can be challenging for a person with hearing loss to participate in a conversation. Hosts should consider making a “quiet space” available for anyone with hearing loss. 
2. If you have an ear that works better than the other, ask to be seated on your “better side” so that you can hear at the table. Find a spot where you’ll be able to make eye contact with others. Make sure there’s good lighting so that you can lip-read and read facial expressions. If you are hosting, simply ask the person with hearing loss the best way to accommodate them.
3. Don’t use low light or candlelight. A well-lit area helps people lip-read and follow conversations easier. Visual cues help you get a better idea of what the discussion is about. The ability to see might provide a 40 percent improvement of understanding.    
4. Let your needs be known. A good host tries to make everyone comfortable and included. If there’s loud music or a loud TV, ask that it be turned lower so that it’s easier for you to hear. If you are watching a movie together, ask to turn on the closed captions so that you can follow along with the plot. 
5. Remind friends and family to be patient. They should know that they might need to repeat themselves around you when there’s a busy environment. If necessary, ask them to speak slower so that it’s easier to understand them. 

    
Selecting the Proper Devices

Everyone’s hearing loss is different. What works for one person may not work for you. Choosing a hearing aid that focuses on speech and helps block out background noise may be helpful for most people with hearing loss. Many hearing aids feature advanced technology including Bluetooth®-connection to your smartphone and other devices, apps, customized programs, algorithms with noise reduction, remote microphones, and multi-directional microphones.

Give the gift of hearing and communication by contacting us at Pure Sound Hearing for a complimentary hearing test and consultation with one of our hearing aid professionals. 

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