What Style of Alarm Systems Should You Use if You Have Hearing Loss?

Setting up a smoke detector in the home is easy, and important to warn you and your loved ones about a fire. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the risk of death due to a fire breaking out in your home falls by 55 percent when you set up a functioning smoke alarm.     

For most people, the sound of a loud smoke alarm is enough to warn you about a fire. If you have hearing loss, particularly high-frequency hearing loss where you are unable to hear high-pitched sounds, a smoke or carbon monoxide detector may not be sufficient enough to warn you.   

Instead, some alarms feature flashing lights or even vibrating alarms for your bed so that you can be shaken awake from your sleep.

Why You need to have an Alarm

It’s important to have early detection so that residents may be immediately alerted, and make their way to safety. 

The amount of time that is available to escape is now less than what we previously thought - at two to three minutes - due to the flammable, synthetic materials that are found in most modern homes. 

This early detection gives a quicker warning to residents about the potential danger.

The individuals at most risks of being harmed or perishing in a fire include children, anyone who is under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and people with hearing loss.

What type of Alarm should You get, based on Your Hearing Loss?   

The average alarm might not be able to alert you for safety if you experience high-frequency hearing loss caused by age or exposure to loud noises,

Typical smoke alarms only generate high-frequency sounds, or high-pitched sounds, which usually aren’t loud enough for people who have severe to profound hearing loss.    

This is concerning when you remove your hearing aids before going to bed at night. 

The NFPA strongly suggests that anyone who cannot hear clearly, especially if they have mild to severe hearing loss, should use a device that produces a combination of different low-pitched sounds. 

What are some Smoke Alarm Options for the Hard of Hearing? 

There are a few different options to choose from, including:

• Strobe lights: In addition to sounds, the flashing lights from a strobe alarm will be able to let you be visually alerted about any pending dangers. If you plan to rely on a strobe alarm during the night, while asleep, find one that’s bright enough to rouse you from your slumber. Please note that older adults might be less responsive to strobe alarms. 
• Vibrating alarms: When you are in a deep sleep, there’s a high risk of not noticing a fire. Fires that take place during the sleep hours of 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. make up 47 percent of fatal fires in residences. An alarm that shakes a person’s bed or pillow (“bed shakers”) can help wake people up. 
• Interconnected alarm system: If you have severe to profound hearing loss, you probably should use a combination of alarms, within one system. When one alarm is set off, all of the alarms will go off - the bed will shake, lights will flash, sounds will blare.

After choosing your alarm system, notify everyone in the house so that they know which signal to be on the lookout for in case of an emergency. 

Unless you wear rechargeable hearing aids that need to be charged overnight, you may also leave your hearing aids in while sleeping. It will give you a better chance of hearing your fire alarm go off.

If you or a loved one are experiencing hearing loss and need hearing aids, please get in touch with us at Pure Sound Hearing for a hearing test and consultation.

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