Hearing loss gets in the way of experiencing the sonic pleasures of the world. Whether that is the sound of music at a concert, birds singing in a forest, or ocean waves at the beach, your experience of sound can be muffled, fragmented, or lost due to hearing loss. Although this loss of the richness of sound is one effect, many people don’t realize how the sound of the world has changed. The most common forms of hearing loss are progressive over time, meaning that it can take years for the effects to occur. After this gradual loss of hearing ability, some people don’t realize how these sounds of the world have been limited or transformed. One common signal of hearing loss is a challenge in communication. Although the sounds of birds and bugs might be missing without a person noticing, it is hard to ignore the missing pieces of language in a conversation. Rather than a steady stream of language in the form of words, phrases, and sentences, communication can become a jumble of random sounds. These missing sounds make it difficult to understand what another person has to say. The following are some helpful tips for communicating if you have hearing loss. Although these tips can make things easier for you, the best way to improve communication is to get treatment for hearing loss in the form of hearing aids.
Communicating in Public
Public places can be difficult communication environments for those who have untreated hearing loss. When communicating, some people experience fragments of sound that make it impossible to understand what is going on. Asking others to come closer to you, when possible, is a helpful strategy. Coming closer not only increases the volume of speech but also makes it easier to see the mouth movements and facial expressions of others. This contextual information makes it easier to form a meaningful unit of language out of fragments of sound. In very difficult sonic environments, you might want to ask others to move with you to a quieter place. Particularly when important information is being passed along, moving to a quieter place can make sure you don’t miss the details. You can always ask others to provide these important facts in writing, as well. Most people will be more than happy to oblige your requests, so don’t hesitate to ask for help when you need it.
Communicating at Home
Although communicating at home tends to be much easier, it can still pose challenges for a person with untreated hearing loss. The quieter setting at home does make it easier to hear, but people tend to be more casual in their communication, as well. One of the greatest challenges for a person with untreated hearing loss is when a person speaks from another room. The volume is undoubtedly lower than if a person were standing right in front of you, and you are also unable to see the mouth movements, facial expressions, and body language of the speaker. If you have a family member who tends to speak or call out from another room, ask that person to help you communicate by coming into the same room before speaking. Particularly when they have information to relay or important questions to ask, they will want to be sure you are hearing every detail rather than a muffled approximation.
Communicating with Hearing Aids
Although these tips can be helpful in many situations, they are only a temporary fix for certain settings. Inevitably, there will still be times when communication is difficult or impossible for those who have untreated hearing loss. The only durable solution to the communication issues posed by hearing loss is to seek treatment. Hearing aids not only raise the volume in the world but the latest models are also specifically equipped to improve communication, including when there is competing background noise with which to contend. Why not take this opportunity to find a lasting solution to communication issues rather than attempting tips and tricks to improve your hearing? The lasting solutions provided by hearing aids will bring benefits to your communication ability as well as your relationships, health, and feelings of wellbeing.
