Hearing Your Loved Ones And Friends This Holiday Season

The holidays are on the way and with them come great times with family and friends, social gatherings, and holiday office parties. These parties may be time for concern if you or a family member are undergoing problems with hearing. Please don’t let a hearing impairment sideline you this season. Avoid the temptation to skip the gatherings and parties because of your difficulty hearing. Whether you are hosting a holiday party or attending one, read on. Following are a few tips to make your holidays fun and memorable for all.

Are You Hosting A Gathering?

If you are holding a holiday get-together, don’t forget about your hearing impaired guests. Advanced planning can help make the occasion more enjoyable for all of your guests including those with hearing difficulties. Here are some guidelines:

• Be attentive and observant of your guests. A hearing-impaired family member or friend may be having trouble hearing the fun.
• Keep the volume of background music low.
• Light up the rooms so those who are hearing impaired can see facial expressions and cues.
• Always speak in clear tones while facing the person with hearing difficulty.
• Instead of repeating yourself, rephrase. A simple re-wording of a phrase can help a person understand you better if they have a hearing problem.
• Stand close while speaking.
• Seat everyone at a round table if possible as it makes communication easier.

Attending A Holiday Party With A Hearing Impairment

If you have difficulty hearing, there are a few steps you can take to make all the festivities and fun of the holidays more enjoyable. You can start with the following:

• Try to position yourself with bright lights behind you, so there is no glare on a speaker’s face.
• Lean against a wall to reduce the amount of noise coming your way.
• Ask your host to reduce background music.
• Find quiet places to socialize away from the kitchen and noisy areas.
• If you wear a hearing aid, ask your hearing healthcare professional about noise reduction features for your hearing device.
• Tell your family and friends about your difficulty hearing.
• Take frequent hearing breaks.

Not Sure If You Have A Hearing Problem?

Are you experiencing problems hearing? If you are apprehensive about your own or a loved one’s hearing, don’t despair. Although a hearing loss is permanent, there are numerous devices and resources to help you. Here are a few queries to ask yourself regarding your ability to hear:

• Do you have trouble hearing conversations?
• Are you always requesting that people repeat themselves?
• Is the volume of the stereo or television playing at a high level?
• Do you experience difficulty hearing telephone conversations?
• Can you hear people speaking in other rooms?

If you answer yes to these questions, it may be time to schedule a hearing evaluation with a hearing healthcare professional. You can get a hearing exam which is non-invasive and painless. With the holidays around the corner, there is no better time than now to gift yourself with better hearing!