Don’t Allow Hearing Loss to Keep You Hostage This Holiday Season

When you think about Thanksgiving, what do you think about other than turkey? Does the cooking and preparing with your family start days before? While you are following grandma’s classic pecan pie recipe, will you reminisce with each other? It’s warm and comfy because you are together, and a delicious aroma is wafting from the oven. While the family laughs about your son’s latest dating adventure or watch the grandkids laugh and put on a holiday play, will you be laughing with them? Or are you having a difficult time catching the punchline of every joke?

Loss of hearing doesn’t have to define the holiday season for you. From chatting over drinks at the company get together to hearing the salesperson over the loud holiday shoppers, you can take control of how you enjoy the holidays this season. Hearing loss doesn’t have to hold you hostage. Think about how to get the most out of your holiday despite your hearing loss. Here are some recommendations.

Those Holiday Get-Togethers

Parties may be the most difficult for those with hearing loss. To make the experience less stressful, here are some tricks:

• Enlist a hearing buddy, a friend who sits with you who can repeat key things you might have missed.
• Be aware of the visual clues. Someone is most likely talking to you if they are looking right at you. If you didn’t hear what they said let them know.
• Manage Your Expectations. It’s an unrealistic expectation to think that you will walk into a party and find everything to be ideal. Things will be more challenging because of your hearing loss. Don’t allow the difficulties to stress you out, just use a sense of humor about it.
• Use visual clues to let others know what is happening. Something as simple as cupping your hand behind your ear can let someone know you’re having difficulty hearing without you needing to point it out.
• Stand away from any speakers that might interfere with your hearing aids. Don’t be shy about asking the host to turn down the music so you can hear better.
• Maybe try stepping out of the room, even if just for a little while. Some time for the brain to rest and recover can be extremely helpful.
• Maybe you could get a friend to pass you notes at a speech instead of whispering in your ears.
• So you can feel less alone, ask for a seat near the center of the table.
• Find areas in the room that have better acoustics–maybe a quiet corner.
• Stand with your back to the wall. It can help stop some of the background noise.

Travel Tips

Hearing loss can make traveling more challenging but don’t allow that to stop you. To make your holiday trip go smoother, try these tips.

Flying or Taking the Train

If you prefer to fly or take a train, it can be challenging to hear announcements over the speaker. There are some things you can do to make the trip easier. Checking if the airport or train station offers any special services for the hearing impaired is step one. There may be an app you can download on your phone that shows vital information or visual signs that show oral announcements. They may also offer priority boarding, for instance, or a sign language interpreter if you need one. If being close enough to lip read or ask questions is important, you can ask for priority seating. They might offer to bring you through a select line in security, too. Be certain to inquire a few weeks early if you want to find out what is possible.

When you board, make certain the attendants know you have hearing loss. That way they will know to tap you on the shoulder if you don’t answer when they ask you if you want a drink.

Lodging Tips

When you reserve your hotel room, let them know you are hearing impaired. Lots of resorts have rooms or devices available for those with hearing loss like vibrating alarm clocks and phones which flash lights instead of ringing. So they can improve your safety, some places are also set up with alarms that flash lights.

If You Are Traveling With Hearing Aids, Take These Essentials

If this is your first trip with your hearing aids, you may not be sure what you need to take with you. Pack these essentials:

• Replacement batteries or a second charger
• A cleaning kit
• Additional accessories

Wear your hearing aids as you go through security. You do not need to remove them. You can keep them in while flying, as well.

And if you don’t already own hearing aids, perhaps it’s time. In the latest hearing aids, there are features that will get rid of background noise, enhance conversation while amplifying sound. The holidays only come once a year. There is no reason the holidays can’t be all that you remember whether you’ve always had hearing loss or if you are new to it. To help you know what your hearing solutions are, make an appointment with a hearing care professional.