Hear well for the holidays!

This blog post discusses several tips and strategies for hearing well during the holidays.  The holiday season can be an excellent time for relaxing, spending time with family and friends, and great conversation.  Promoting a better hearing environment can allow you to have a more enjoyable holiday season.  Not hearing well during family and friend gatherings can cause anxiety, undue stress, and a reluctance to attend future gatherings and events.

Let’s discuss my top holiday hearing tips!

To start, seating arrangements play a vital role in better hearing. Circular seating arrangements allow guests to see one another better, increasing their ease of communication. Reading facial expressions and mouth movements can provide up to a 30% increase in understanding; why not take advantage of that boost!  If it's available, use a circular seating arrangement.

If you wear hearing aids, make sure to have them cleaned and tuned-up by your audiologist before the holiday season.  Always carry spare batteries with you, and make sure your hearing aids are charged! Having spare hearing aid filters and domes readily available is also an excellent idea.  Hearing aids only work well when they maintained and taken care of.

Are you planning on entertaining guests with board games? Play board games and party games that encourage turn taking. A poor communication setting is made when everyone is yelling answers and directions for a game all at the same time. Turn taking games are much more listening friendly.  Also, games that rely on whispering and music are not good choices for individuals that have a hearing loss, even a mild loss. Put the musical chairs away, and take out Apples-to-Apples!

Some parties (especially for young children) can have festive masks, face-painting, and other fund stations. Try a face-painting station for your holiday party instead of using festive masks. Masks can make voices sound muffled and distorted, and also hide very useful facial expressions and lip moments. Further, masks can bother children who use hearing aids, causing unnecessary discomfort. Face paint, temporary tattoo stickers, or face stickers are a better solution to communication, and the festive spirit can still be embraced!

Also, appropriate festive head wear can be important for better hearing. Imagine wearing a woolen Santa hat all day: Your head would be hot and sweaty!  Cloth hats are not optimal party headwear for people with hearing aids. Sweat can affect the hearing aid, and the sound quality can be diminished. Also, some cloth hats can knock off hearing devices from an ear when taken off. Paper hats (crowns) and festive headbands are a much better alternative.

If you feel like your hearing isn’t as great as it used to be, get your hearing tested.  Give yourself the gift of better hearing this holiday season!

Contact us for a hearing assessment today!