Christmas time can be extra challenging for people living with hearing loss. It can be a busy time attending Christmas parties, family get-together’s, busy pubs and restaurants, and let’s not forget the grandchildrens’ special Christmas concerts. With lots of background noise it can be quite difficult to hear in all of these every day situations, and that can leave you feeling a bit left out and even isolated.
With that in mind, Hearing Wales has put together some top tips to help you or your family member hear better this Christmas, and every time you find yourself in a potentially challenging hearing situation.
Christmas Dinner Table Tips
- Position the person with the hearing impairment in the middle of the table where they are able to see people clearly. This will help with lip-reading and the directional microphones on any hearing aids they may be wearing will zoom in on the person speaking
- Try to take it in turns to speak
- Try not to talk with your mouth full if the person lip-reads
- Keep background noise and music to a minimum
Tips for In A Restaurant/Pub
- Choose a table away from the busier parts of the restaurant
- Position the hearing aid wearer with their back to the restaurant, if possible facing the wall. This will help the directional microphones to pick out the speech while the background noise is reduced
Remove Ear Wax
It is important to remember that ears that feel full or are blocked with wax will often suffer from an increased hearing loss. Our advice would be to get this ear wax removed. Not only will you usually be able to hear much better straight away, but this will also improve the performance of any hearing aids that are worn. At Hearing Wales we have a Specialist Ear Wax Removal nurse who can perform both Micro Suction and Ear Irrigation to remove a build up of Ear Wax.
To book your appointment, call us on 0800 313 4304.
Service Your Hearing Aid
Hearing aids work best when they have been cleaned and checked that they are working properly. It is useful to have your hearing re-tested and have the hearing aid adjusted to your current hearing loss. This service is available for free at Hearing Wales and will really help you get the most improvement from wearing your hearing aids. Call Hearing Wales on 0800 313 4304 to book your appointment.
Upgrade Your Hearing Aid
Hearing aid technology is moving so quickly, our customers are absolutely amazed by the improved hearing they are experiencing when they try one of the newer hearing aids. It may be worth considering upgrading your hearing aid to really maximise your hearing this Christmas. For a free no-obligation appointment call Hearing Wales on 0800 313 4304.
Phonak Audeo Venture RIC Hearing Aids have some key features that can help with the Christmas crowds and get togethers:
| AutoSense OS | Seamlessly fits to your changing listening environment. AutoSense OS accurately captures the precise listening environment you are in to provide you with a comfortable, seamless listening experience throughout your day. | ||
| Speech in Loud Noise | Extracts the single voice you want to hear from a noisy crowd. When noise reaches a level that makes understanding one person in a crowd difficult, StereoZoom is automatically activated, allowing you to focus on the voice you want to hear. | ||
| Speech in 360° | Understand speech from any direction. Automatically selects the direction of speech and sends this speech signal from one ear to the other, improving speech intelligibility without the need to face the speaker. | ||
| Speech in Wind | Enjoy conversations even on a windy day. When wearing hearing aids wind noise interferes with speech understanding and listening comfort. The Speech in Wind feature enhances your ability to understand speech well, even when the wind is blowing. |
