Hearing loss and your social life
We often take the advantages of healthy hearing for granted, but the consequences of hearing loss are anything but subtle. Find out the impact hearing loss can have on your social life, the benefits of hearing better, and simple tricks to help improve your hearing in any social setting. You can also take our online hearing screening to better understand your current hearing abilities.
Understanding your hearing health
The social effects of hearing loss
Whether at a rowdy cocktail party or an intimate dinner gathering, living with hearing loss can mean coping with what has become a sea of garble. Trying to hear clearly is tough stuff and, when background noise isn’t living up to its name, it can be frustrating. Not only does hearing loss make it harder to converse with those around you, it can also have a big impact on your social life overall. Opting out of plans with friends, withdrawing from typical social engagements, and dealing with feelings of isolation and depression are all too common for those living with hearing loss. If you believe your hearing is having an effect on your social life, it’s time to take action. A hearing screening is a great place to start.
Benefits of hearing better
No more missing out
While hearing loss can most certainly throw curve balls your way, treating your hearing loss will throw you a life line instead. Better hearing has an enormous impact on your health, both mentally and physically. Not only can it make your surroundings safer, it can also reduce anxiety and depression. Less time spent focusing on tuning out background noise and reading other cues also means an increase in your energy levels. With more energy and confidence in social situations, your relationships are bound to benefit, too.
Hearing better in social settings
Feel like anything beyond a one-on-one conversation causes you social anxiety? If you’re living with hearing loss, there are steps you can take to stay part of the conversation. Try implementing the following tips on your next outing and give your ears their best shot at hearing in public.
- At restaurants, call ahead and request a quiet seat in a corner nook.
- Don’t hesitate to ask if the volume of the background music can be turned down.
- Sit with your back to the wall when you’re in a crowded place, such as a bar or noisy restaurant.
Preventing hearing loss
Protect your hearing from everyday noise
Busy with the fast-paced world around us, it can be really easy to overlook the noises we’re exposing our ears to on a daily basis. Whether your mowing the lawn, listening to a morning podcast or meeting up with a friend at the bar, it’s common to underestimate the decibel levels of the sounds around you. To best protect your hearing health, make sure you wear ear plugs or protective earmuffs when in a noisy environment or working with loud household appliances. If you often find yourself with headphones in, make sure the volume is at a safe level and take a break from time to time.
How can hearing aids help you?
Choosing the right hearing device is an important step to hearing better (and more) in public spaces. Modern, digital hearing aids are extraordinary devices and come with a variety of smart features, including:
- Speech enhancement technology, which improves speech clarity and makes it easier to hear and understand.
- Background noise cancellation, which suppresses background noise and makes it easier to hear in noisy environments.
- Directional microphones, which enhance sound from a specific direction and make it easier to hear the sounds that really matter.
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