The holidays are a time to come together with your loved ones and revel in the spirit of the season. But hearing loss may put a damper on your festivities, so let your hearing aids help you make the most of the magic.
How Hearing Aids Enhance the Holidays
Wearing your hearing aids gives you access to a wealth of holiday sounds. Your devices can improve the sound quality of your grandchildren’s laughter, talk around the dinner table and Christmas carols.
You may also feel less apprehensive about attending holiday gatherings. You won’t have to worry about missing out on jokes or asking someone to repeat their story. Hearing devices filter distracting background noise so you can focus on the person in front of you.
You’re less likely to experience listening fatigue while wearing hearing aids because your brain isn’t working as hard to interpret sounds. That means you’ll be able to enjoy parties and gatherings without feeling mentally exhausted afterward.
Prep Your Hearing Devices
It’s important to get your hearing aids ready for the holidays. Now is the time to visit your audiologist so they can check your devices. They may also tweak the settings on your hearing aids to better equip them to deal with noisy environments.
Here are some other tips to consider:
- Give your hearing aids a thorough cleaning. Clear away any debris from the receiver and change the wax filter if necessary. If you wear BTE or RITE hearing aids, use a puffer to remove any moisture in the tubing. Wipe down your devices with a clean, soft cloth nightly.
- Make sure you have battery power. If you have rechargeable hearing aids, give them a full charge the night before a holiday event. Or take extra batteries with you to a gathering if your devices require replaceable batteries.
- Wear a hat or an ear wrap to protect your hearing aids. Condensation from temperature changes and perspiration will damage your devices and create feedback.
Understand Your Hearing Aid Features
Some devices have special components that improve speech comprehension, especially in crowded, noisy areas.
Directional microphones: These mechanisms reduce the amount of noise that enters your hearing aids. They change their functionality based on your surroundings. There can be multiple directional mics on each hearing aid, which allows your devices to be more selective about canceling background noise.
Speech enhancers: Sounds are processed in a microchip in your hearing aid that cleans up the audio before it’s sent to the auditory nerve in your inner ear. Speech enhancers are specifically designed to improve spoken audio and support speech comprehension. This technology is especially helpful in differentiating consonant sounds such as “s,” “f,” and “th.”
Come to Audiology & Hearing Aid Solutions and get your hearing aids holiday-ready. Call 888.473.8702 or contact us online to schedule your appointment.
