The holidays are almost here, and you’ve already started decorating. You’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year, and Christmas is just around the corner. Whether you’ve invited the whole family for dinner, or are joining the celebration at your daughter’s house, the holidays are bound to get a bit loud. Are you worried about your hearing loss during the holiday weekend? If you’re struggling to hear and have a hard time with conversations, here are some tips to enjoy the holidays with hearing loss.
Hearing in Background Noise
While you might be able to hear clearly during one-on-one conversations in a quiet place, hearing in background noise is a different story. Background noise makes your hearing loss more noticeable, and you struggle to make sense of all the sounds flooding your ears from every direction. Your brain is working overtime to filter through all this noise, and separate important speech sounds from background noise. However, it feels like you just can’t keep up with all the sounds, and you quickly fall behind in conversations. No matter how many times the person you’re talking with repeats themselves, you’re unable to participate in conversations, and you’re always worried you’ll mishear a question or comment, and answer inappropriately.
Helping You Hear During the Holidays
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner with hearing loss, or inviting a loved one who’s struggling to hear, the holidays can be a time of frustration, confusion, and isolation rather than a time of connection and joy. Family dinners can get very loud, and with the kids and dogs running around and festive music playing in the background, the holidays create a very difficult listening environment. You might find yourself struggling to hear, and feeling embarrassed that you can’t communicate effectively. You may be tempted to withdraw from the group and find a quiet room to get away from all the noise. If your loved one is isolating themselves and missing out on the holiday cheer, here are a few tips to help everyone enjoy the holidays.
- Reduce Background Noise: If you’re hosting the party, and you know one of your guests has hearing loss, do your best to reduce the background noise as much as possible. Turn off the TV, and keep the music to a minimum. You might consider getting the kids to play in another room or go outside, so the adults can converse without having to yell over the noise of the children.
- Speak Clearly: You might be tempted to raise your voice when speaking to someone with hearing loss, but this doesn’t actually help them hear. Yelling can distort the sounds, and make it harder for them to understand you. Speak clearly and add a few pauses at the end of sentences or phrases to make sure they’re still following what you’re saying.
- Rephrase It: When someone asks you to repeat yourself because they didn’t understand what was said, don’t repeat the exact words, but find a way to rephrase it to give more context to what you’re trying to communicate. Repeating words they can’t understand won’t necessarily help them hear better, but finding a new way to say it could be the key to helping them understand what you’ve said, and have a smooth conversation.
Scheduling a Hearing Test
If you’ve noticed changes in your hearing abilities, and you’re worried about enjoying the holidays with hearing loss, contact us at HearCare today to schedule a hearing test. Don’t go through another holiday season struggling to hear – there are solutions available to help!
Looking for a discreet fit? We have devices that sit within the ear canal and are nearly invisible. Worried about how you will be able to connect with the technology that you use every day? We have hearing aids that feature advanced connectivity features that can stream phone calls, music, email notifications, or even driving directions right to your ears.
HearCare RI
If you’re ready to enjoy the holidays without worrying about your hearing, visit us today at HearCare to find out how treating your hearing loss will improve relationships, help you connect with your family, and give you the best holiday season you’ve ever had.