Does your spouse or other close friends say:
“Huh?”
“Can you repeat that?”
“What did you say?”
“Can you speak up?”
If you know someone with hearing loss, or you have a hearing loss, I’m sure you’ve heard or said these things multiple times. Conversations can be very frustrating whether you’re the one asking them to repeat, or you’re the one constantly having to repeat. While prescription hearing aids can improve and help with some of the volume and clarity that is lost, hearing aids will never fully return hearing and understanding to 100% and they may still struggle. Many of us who do not have hearing loss, and do not wear hearing aids, do not realize that many of the ways we conduct natural conversations are actually making it harder for the one with hearing loss to understand us. What can be assumed to be “selective hearing”, or assumed that the person is ignoring us, is more than likely very far from the case. Here at Gardner Audiology, our mission is to provide hearing healthcare and information, whether you know you have hearing loss, suspect you do, or are researching it for someone else. So, what can we do, as people without hearing loss, to support successful conversations with those that do?
Get their attention. Don’t assume they can hear you/know you’re trying to talk to them. State their name, or if appropriate you can gently touch them on the shoulder. Make sure the one with hearing loss knows you’re trying to talk to them so that they don’t miss the beginning of the conversation. This will also help the interaction be more face-to-face. Talking face-to-face will direct what you’re saying to them more effectively and clearly. Try to avoid talking from another room, if possible. The farther you are, the more difficult it will be to hear. If you know they have a “better ear” try to position yourself to that side of them.
Rephrase instead of repeat. Believe it or not, depending on the person’s hearing loss, and in what frequencies, it can determine what type of voices and words are difficult for someone to understand. For example: someone with hearing loss in the higher frequencies might have more difficulty hearing consonances in sharper words, or words with an “S” or a “T”, and struggle with higher pitched voices. So, if someone is having problems understanding your sentence after the first couple times, try and rephrase it using a different choice of words. Avoid saying “never mind” and giving up after a couple attempts. They care about what you have to say, and this could lead to them feeling dismissed.
Speak clearly and loudly. Enunciation is very important, as mumbling can drown out the entire sentence. Also, never feel offended if they ask you to speak up. Remember that although they have the help of hearing aids, they still have hearing loss, and they absolutely want to hear what you have to say!
Reduce background noise if possible. Crowded and noisy situations are inevitable, especially if they are someone with a more active lifestyle. However, if you are at home reducing background noises like TV volume can help them hear the full sentence. In a noisier environment, if you can see they’re struggling to understand you, don’t be afraid to ask them to move the conversation to a quieter place. Help them feel included in the event to avoid them feeling isolated and ostracized from the fun. Newer hearing aids have actually been built and designed for those with active lifestyles whose main concern is struggling with background noise. They are the first of their kind built with two chips to primarily focus on automatically detecting background noise, filtering it, and providing exceptional speech-in-noise focus with a reduced listening effort leading to feeling less tired at the end of the day. If you’re interested in learning more about them, you can schedule an appointment to see one of our providers at one of our eight locations on our website, or by calling us at (800) 277-1182.
Ask them how you can help! If you regularly speak to someone with hearing loss, ask what works best for them. Of course, continue using all the tips above, but they might have tips and tricks that are specific to them! If you’re someone with hearing loss, don’t be afraid to tell others what helps you!
If you’re reading this and thinking to yourself “wow, that person with the hearing loss kind of sounds like me!” Or if you know anyone close to you that seems to be struggling with a suspected hearing loss- it might be time for a hearing test to talk about the potential benefits of hearing aids! Working with all major hearing aid manufacturers, our care team is dedicated to helping you hear from the moment you call to the moment you leave with hearing aids programmed specifically for your hearing loss type.
Call Gardner Audiology at 1-800-277-1182, contact us on our website, or schedule online by clicking here. You can also email us your questions at info@gardneraudiology.com. We will schedule a no cost consultation at one of our Gardner Audiology locations!
