Here And Now

The festive period means a coming together and celebrating with our friends and family, however, that also means that if you are a hearing aid user it can be more difficult in social situations.

During the festive celebrations there is a high possibility of a range of different sounds that can affect someone dealing with hearing loss, including: many different people speaking, background music, and toys being played with. This can make it difficult for a person with hearing loss to navigate.

Below are listed a few things a hearing aid user can do to get the most out of the festive period:

• Avoid noisy areas:
  • We generally spend most of the festive period at home or round the house of a relative, which usually means a fair amount of time is spent in or around the kitchen. Because of the noise generated from appliances and other sounds, we generally talk louder - Finding the quietest area in a room or house will help a person with hearing difficulties better understand speech and enjoy their time more.
• Remove objects from in front of you
  • If the room is naturally loud, or if you're settling down for dinner, removing objects from in front of you will help tremendously for a person who is hard of hearing, this means that they are able to see the face and lip read. 
• Have a check-up
  • Having a check-up in the run up to the festive period will let you know how your hearing aid is working and if it is to the best of their ability. Because its difficult over the festive period to book an appointment its ideal to book one early so you are at ease with how your device is working.

If you have any concerns about your hearing, hearing aids or would like some advice on ear care moving forward, make sure to get in contact with your local Ear Place.