How to make the most of your hearing loss and hear better at holiday gatherings.
At last, we are gathering with family and friends for the holidays. It’s a wonderful time to celebrate and re-connect with people. However, for those that live with hearing loss in Marin, the holidays can be a frustrating time. It’s hard to participate in conversations and feel included if you can’t hear what is being said. Our desire for you is that you are hearing your best and fully enjoy these celebrations. Here are some tips to make the most of these opportunities to gather with loved ones.
7 Tips to Hear Better Over the Holidays
- Give yourself a good start: If you want to hear better over the holidays, prepare beforehand by making sure your hearing aids are clean and have fresh batteries or are fully charged (if rechargeable).
- Speak-up. If you feel comfortable doing so gently inform others that you have a hearing loss and ask them to face you and speak clearly. It will go a long way in making the conversation go more smoothly from the start.
- Choose a seat or conversations spot away from the kitchen or a noisy adjoining room. Try to keep your back to the noise. This will be helpful if your hearing aids have directional microphones.
- Limit your conversations to one or two people at once. It’s hard to hear people when several people are talking at once. Try to have meaningful conversations with people one on one when possible.
- Find the quietest room. If you are attending a gathering with multiple rooms, try to position yourself in a quieter, less crowded room. The room without a TV or one with carpeting.
- It’s okay to ask people to repeat what they have said. If you have an idea of what they said or heard part of it, let them know you are listening by repeating what you did hear, for example. “I missed the last part, where did you say you are going on vacation?”
- Find a friend who won’t mind repeating something for you, if needed. Remember that you are not alone. Most people have a harder time hearing in a crowd so don’t get too frustrated if you miss something. Take a break or walk outside to get some fresh air.
We hope our list of hearing loss communication tips helps you hear better over the holidays and at gatherings this year. Hearing loss shouldn’t stop you from enjoying yourself.
If you’re concerned about your hearing or want to hear more clearly, schedule an appointment by calling us at (415) 927-1567 or sending us an email at info@marinhearingcenter.com.
