Tips for Hearing Better During the Holidays

The holidays are a time of year to spend celebrating with family and friends. You have the opportunity to go to parties, decorate the house and eat delicious food.

Yet for those with hearing loss, the holidays may be a frustrating time. If you’re unable to hear the conversation, you’re likely to feel left out and frustrated.

Let’s take a closer look at our leading holiday hearing tips so you can enjoy the season to its fullest.

Skip the phone call

You may usually catch up with friends and family you haven’t seen in a long time over the phone; however, phone calls can be difficult for those who experience hearing loss. Instead, try other ways to get in touch.

Video calls are a great option because the person with hearing loss doesn’t have to rely on that sense as much. This way, they can see the person’s lips moving and read their expressions. There are plenty of video-calling options available now, from FaceTime to Google to Zoom, that are good choices for sufferers of hearing loss.

Limit background noise

Background noise creates significant problems for those with hearing loss. This is because their ears have difficulty filtering out noise and focusing on spoken words. Request that your family turn down or turn off any music. If you usually celebrate in a restaurant, you may want to ask to have the gathering at home this year.

Be honest

When you can’t hear someone talking to you, you may be tempted to nod along and pretend that you can hear what the other person is saying, but being honest will remove some stress from the situation. Ask them to speak more loudly and clearly, or provide visual cues for them to speak up, like cupping your hand and putting it to your ear. You’ll be glad you did in the long run because you won’t be completely lost in the conversation.

Find the right position

Those with hearing loss often hear better in specific situations. Perhaps you’re very sensitive to background noise. Maybe you hear out of one ear better than the other. Or it may be the case that you hear better when you’re very close to the other person. Before you start a conversation, make sure you’re in the best position possible.

Consider new technologies

There are hearing loss solutions out there that can help. An FM system or a directional microphone are both great because they isolate background noise by filtering it out and amplifying the voices you want to hear to participate in conversation.

If you want to hear better during holidays and all year round, then it’s time to look into getting high-quality hearing aids. Established in 2005, Vancouver Hearing Aid Center is a full-service retail sales clinic and hearing aid repair shop. Our team does it all, including hearing aid evaluations, sales, fittings, consultations and exams. We have more than 50 years of experience in the field behind us. Stop by or call today for more information.