If you’ve taken the first step toward better hearing by investing in hearing aids, you deserve to be congratulated. But you should know that you’ll also need to develop good communication habits to maximize the benefits you receive from wearing them.
Let’s take a closer look at some things you can start doing today to improve your overall experience with your hearing devices.
Communication Tips
- Commit to Wearing Your Hearing Aids. You will need to get used to hearing sounds you may not have heard for a long time. You may initially find certain sounds irritating, but your brain will adjust in time, and they’ll become normal. Do not stop wearing your hearing devices during this adjustment period.
- Show Off Your Hearing Aids. Inform others you are wearing hearing devices, and give them guidance to allow you to communicate effectively. You should face the listener when you talk, tell them to speak louder or move the conversation to another room if the environment is too noisy.
- Control Your Environment. If you know you are going to be in a situation where background noise will interfere with your ability to communicate effectively, formulate a plan. For example, if you plan on dining with friends, look at a restaurant’s menu online beforehand and decide what you want, eliminating the need to ask the server to repeat menu choices. Arrive early to find seating away from sources of background noise.
- Make Eye Contact. You will discover communication improves when you can evaluate and interpret body language and facial expressions.
- Practice Your Listening Skills. Listen to the radio or audiobooks.You can also purchase auditory rehabilitative software for your computer to practice listening with background noise.
- Be Patient. In time, listening with hearing devices will become second nature, and you will experience the joy of hearing all the sounds of life!
Don’t have hearing devices yet? Think you may be living with untreated hearing loss? Our caring audiology team can help. Contact Willamette ENT & Plastic Surgery today to book a consultation.
“Dr. Strand is wonderful. In fact, all the staff are just the best. Personable, and to the point. You will be well cared for at Willamette ENT.”