Social situations don’t have to be scary!

Life with a hearing loss can feel scary or isolating, but we’re here to tell you that you can absolutely manage. Family get togethers do not have to be a thing of the past.

The most important thing with a hearing loss is to see an Audiologist and if necessary, they will prescribe you with a hearing aid. They can fine tune the settings on your hearing aid precisely for your hearing loss and to fit in with your lifestyle. This is so important when it comes to social situations because people with hearing loss can find it difficult to follow group conversations. One on one conversations are much easier because there is less noise and it is much more obvious who should speak when. More than likely, you will be close together too. Each new person who is added to the conversation adds another layer of complexity for a person with hearing loss. The conversation will change topic much more quickly and people end up talking at the same time. There is often a lot more space between people in a group conversation too. If you have a hearing loss, more than likely, these conversations will be difficult for you to navigate.

Unfortunately, it is not as simple as just increasing the volume to make the conversation easier. It is about focusing your hearing. You need to be able to separate sounds from each other so that it is easier to focus on what you want to hear. Some hearing aids can help you to block out unwanted background noise which can make group conversations a lot easier.

If you are in a busy restaurant or cafe where there is a lot of background noise, this is another instance when being able to block out background noise and focus on what you need to hear is really important. A good tip from us is to always ensure you request a quieter table.

Attending the cinema or theatre with a hearing loss can be difficult but if you have hearing aids with a telecoil, in most places you can connect to the built in “teleloop” which streams the sound directly into your ear meaning you can hear as well as a person without hearing loss. You can even connect to teleloops in some shops, banks and post offices.

Being open and honest is an important part of navigating life with a hearing loss. There are always going to be times where you struggle and asking for help or admitting you are struggling is the best course of action.

Really all we can say is that the most important thing to ensure your quality of life continues to thrive is to do something about a hearing loss. The longer it is left untreated, the more it can deteriorate. For some people, it may not even be hearing loss that is causing the issue, it could be something as simple as needing to have earwax removal. If you believe your hearing has suffered recently and would like some advise, please don’t hesitate to get in touch – we promise you it will be worth it!