Hearing Devices Aren’t Enough without Good Communication Habits

If you’ve taken the first step toward better hearing by investing in hearing devices, you deserve to be congratulated. But satisfaction is not guaranteed by a simple purchase. You have a responsibility to develop good communication habits designed to maximize the benefits you receive from wearing hearing devices.

Try these tips for better hearing and to communicate your best:

• Commit to wearing your hearing devices. You must become accustomed to hearing sounds you may not have heard for a long time—your brain will adjust, eventually. Do not stop wearing your hearing devices during this adjustment period. Be patient and focus on the commitment you have made to your hearing health.
• Show off your hearing devices. Inform others you are wearing hearing devices. Give them guidance to allow you to communicate effectively. You must face the listener when you talk, tell him or her to speak louder or move the conversation to another room if the environment is too noisy.
• Control your environment. If you know you are going to be in a situation where background noise will interfere with your ability to communicate effectively, formulate a plan— look at a restaurant’s menu online beforehand, arrive early to find seating away from sources of background noise, etc.
• Make eye contact. You will discover communication improves when you can evaluate and interpret body language and facial expressions.
• Practice your listening skills. Listen to the radio or audiobooks. There is even auditory rehabilitative software you can buy for your computer to practice listening with background noise.
• Be patient. In time, listening with hearing devices will become second nature and you will be rewarded with the joy of hearing all the sounds of life.

If hearing is a challenge for you, then you might benefit from a hearing evaluation. Fort HealthCare Audiology can help you schedule one, or a complementary hearing screening. Give us a call at 920-563-6667 to schedule an appointment.

We can accommodate your care even in this time of ongoing uncertainty!