7 Tips for Making the Most of Social Outings with Hearing Loss

Couple eating at a restaurant

 

For most people with hearing loss, social outings can be challenging. From differentiating one voice from another to struggling to hear voices over the background noise, going into a noisy environment with friends or family can become more stressful than enjoyable.

If you have hearing loss, you can still enjoy a night out on the town. Just follow these 7 tips to make the most of your social outings.

#1) Plan ahead.

When your friends or family start having a conversation about where to go to dinner Friday night, or where to spend a Sunday afternoon, it can be easy to let them decide on the venue of choice. However, when you have hearing loss, those without hearing loss will not have greatest ability to judge what environments will work best for you.

For example, if someone suggests a restaurant where you know they play the music too loud for you to easily communicate, you can suggest a restaurant that’s similar but offers better a better listening environment.

#2) Find, or request, a quieter seating area.

When you arrive at your venue of choice, observe your surroundings. For instance, take note of where the music speakers are that could interfere with conversation. You can also look for which areas are most well lit, so you can easily look at the people you are talking to.

After that, select the seating area that offers the best environment for you. Conversely, if a hostess must seat you, simply request a quiet seating area.

#3) Communicate with those nearest to you.

When you’re with a large group, it can be overwhelming trying to figure out where to direct your attention to, especially with hearing loss. Make your life easier, and eliminate the burden of trying to talk to the entire group.

Instead, sit next to the people you think you are most likely to spend your time talking with. If a person who is further away wants to start a conversation, stand or sit closer to them.

#4) Ask a friend to fill in the gaps.

With hearing loss, we are more likely to ask our friends or family “What?” or “Can you repeat that?” Over time, you can become tired of asking such questions and your loved ones can become tired of hearing them.

Rather than asking everyone to repeat themselves, ask a friend to act as your second pair of ears. You can ask him or her to fill in the gaps. Most people are happy to help, as they want to ensure that you feel a part of the conversation.

#5) Take breaks.

Hearing loss makes having social interactions all the more taxing, and oftentimes, the more tired you become, the more difficult following a conversation can be. After a while, you may want a break.

That’s okay! Just excuse yourself from the gathering, and step outside or take a trip to the restroom. Stepping out can give your brain the time it needs to reset, refresh, and take on further conversation.

#6) Wear your hearing aids.

Did you know that 28.8 million Americans could benefit from hearing aids? If you have hearing loss, there’s a strong likelihood that you are one of these people: Check out these 12 Signs You Might Need Hearing Aids.

To purchase a pair of hearing aids on a budget, Advanced Affordable Hearing can help. To start your journey to hearing better, contact us now.

#7) Bring extra batteries or charging cord.

If you already benefit from hearing aids, there’s nothing worse than going on a social outing and losing power to your hearing aids. That’s why it’s so important to always be prepared.

For a battery-operated device, bring along some extra batteries. On the other hand, if you have a rechargeable device, bring your charging cord or consider bringing a pair of inexpensive hearing aids as backup.

Ready to hear better?

Since 1996, Advanced Affordable Hearing has been shipping reasonably priced hearing aids directly to people like you. Our mission to help people hear at a price they can afford, and we want to extend that mission to you.

To get started, visit our Online Hearing Check, or call one of our representatives at 1 (800) 804-0434, to get a sense of your level of hearing loss. After that, we can help you order the perfect hearing aids for you.

If you have any questions, or would like to place an order, contact us.

 

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For more information on living with hearing loss, read our posts: