Here And Now

Face masks have now become a compulsory element in our day to day lives in most public places. For many, this may not be too much of an issue, however for hearing aid users there are many challenges to face.

Wearing a face covering is not only uncomfortable but it also adds extra challenges for people with hearing impairments.

If you wear behind the ear hearing aids, you are likely to encounter some issues when wearing a standard face covering with elastic ear loops. If you don’t accidently pull your hearing aids out when removing your mask, the loops may tug on the wire or the tube that goes from the hearing aid down to your ear.

Here are a few tips we have picked up to make wearing a mask with hearing aids a little bit more comfortable

• Use a mask that goes around your head rather than your ears.
• Use a mask extender.
• Try and make sure the elastic loops of the mask go outside of the hearing aid, between the aid and the back of your ear.
• If you have long hair, tie it up and use your ponytail as a mask anchor.
• Remove one side of the mask at a time and try not to rush.

Not only do face coverings pose a problem with the aids themselves, it can also make it difficult to hear people and prevent lip reading.  Where possible, try and talk slowly and clearly and rephrase remarks if they are not understood. There are some face coverings with clear plastic windows available in shops and online, which would be beneficial for lipreaders.

Do not be afraid to ask people to remove their face covering when shopping so you can understand what is being said!

There are plenty of different options for hearing aids available now, including small in ear aids. For more information about the different products available speak to one of our audiologists today.