If you are having trouble with hearing loss, you might be worried about upcoming holiday gatherings. Following are some tips to help you navigate communication obstacles and keep the jingle in your mingle!
Dinner parties are tricky because often times a lot of people talk at once. If you feel comfortable, you can suggest that people take turns talking. It can be challenging for anyone to follow the conversation when multiple people are speaking at once.
Sit next to the people you would like to talk with most.
If you are not wearing a hearing aid, try to sit with the wall to your back to help drown out any background noise.
If you are wearing a hearing aid, place your back to the noise.
If there’s music playing or a TV on in the background, ask the host if it can be lowered so you can hear better.
Will you have a friend or your partner at the parties with you? It’s great to bring someone who understands your hearing loss and can help.
If you’d like to talk to somebody, move closer to them.
Ask somebody to continue the conversation with you when you have a chance to be closer.
Have conversations one-on-one in other rooms, away from the noise.
If someone tells you a phone number or an important detail, repeat it back to make sure you heard it correctly.
If you misunderstood part of a sentence, ask a specific question about the part you missed, rather than saying, “What?” ask “What did you decide to do about the shopping?” or “Who is Sylvia bringing to dinner?”.
Don’t pretend that you heard something that you didn’t hear. Ask them to repeat themselves.
It’s OK to take breaks! It can be tiring to socialize, especially when you are working hard to hear.
You won’t hear everything and it’s OK, neither will anyone else!
Getting your hearing checked regularly is good practice and Dr. Pfleger and Dr. Fletcher can help! They understand all of the challenges associated with hearing loss and can help come up with solutions that fit your lifestyle.
Contact one of our offices today to make an appointment:
Yarmouth Port: 508-385-5222
Marstons Mills: 508-539-9780