Friday 23 October 2015

Improving your hearing in time for Christmas



There is nothing like the festive season with one social engagement after another. From the Christmas office party, drinks with friends and the buzz of the family gathering on the big day, December is a time for fun and social interaction.

But is it? For those experiencing hearing loss, this can be something of an annual nightmare, causing a variety of communication issues!

Imagine if you can, being unable to hear speech clearly because Christmas music is being played in the background or not being able to hear the excitement of children opening presents because they are all talking at once and you cannot separate the sounds clearly. Imagine dreading Christmas dinner on a large table with 15 other people because you won’t be able to hear what is being said around you. 


These are issues a normal hearing person doesn’t normally even consider.
Over 119,000 people in Suffolk have a hearing loss but the number is far smaller for those who have sought professional help from their local audiologist.

Hearing aids can make such a difference to someone's quality of life at this time of year. Hearing aids are so much smaller and discreet than they ever used to be and packed full of amazing features that will help during the festive period.  

You may have thought that with so much noise at a party or family dinner, hearing aids would just make things louder, but modern digital hearing aids aren’t simple sound amplifiers. They are designed to filter out all the unwanted noise - like the clanging of dishes in the kitchen or the background music - and help you focus on speech.

Features such as directional microphones work to reduce the amount of noise allowed to enter your hearing aids. In noisy environments, like at a Christmas party, the system will work to pick up the least amount of noise. If the noise is located behind you, your directional microphones will adapt to pick up sound from in front of you and dampen noise from behind you. 


If you or someone you know is struggling with hearing problems, don’t struggle through another festive season not being able to join in and have fun. I urge you to book a hearing test now and find out what could be done to help you in time for Christmas.