The following article about the effects of hearing loss at Christmas is published in Lancaster District Magazine.
SleighBells Ring... Are you listening??
We all have our favourite things about Christmas, whether that be the carols, the endless Christmas films, the crackling fire, the presents or simply spending time with our loved ones; there is something special about this time of year.
What many do not realise is that for those with hearing loss, Christmas can bring feelings of frustration and isolation, particularly if they are unable to be involved with the hubbub of conversation.
How can Hearing Loss affect the enjoyment of music, films and TV?
Hearing Loss commonly affects the high frequencies meaning that lyrics and instrumentals can become jumbled together making even the most common and popular Christmas song or carol unrecognisable.
Older Christmas films often have poor sound quality, which coupled with hearing loss makes the speech indistinct and mumbled and the newer films often have background music throughout, which again makes it difficult for someone with hearing loss to understand what is being said.
Instead the person will rely on already knowing the plot or the song to fill in for what they aren’t hearing.
What about background noise?
It is common for those with hearing loss to feel overwhelmed at social events or family gatherings as background noise can create difficulty in following conversation even when it is face to face.
These situations often have multiple streams of conversation all happening at once,which can become increasingly frustrating for those with hearing loss, as they are often having to play catch up in the conversation and base their responses on the context of the conversation, rather than what they have actually heard.
Frequently they may get the response incorrect as they have had to fill in the gaps of what they think they have heard. When this happens, those with hearing lossoften withdraw, which may lead to feelings of isolation. Often family and friends are unaware of the situation.
And what about the Telephone?
The festive period is when we often reconnect with distant family and friends. We use the phone to make our plans for Christmas day and the New Year, and to hear how our loved ones are spending theirs.
When faced with hearing loss, telephone conversation can become a challenge as there are no longer the lipreading cues which are relied on when having a conversation face-to-face.
This can lead to mishearing and often asking the person on the other end to repeat. In some unfortunate instances the person with hearing loss may not even hear the telephone ring and so miss the call completely.
Don’t let your hearing affect your enjoyment this holiday season…
· Book in for a Hearing test or Ear Wax removal in advance of the festivities
· Think about some new hearing aids – the advanced technology is designed to give ease of listening in even the most complex listening environments
Call 01524587623 or visit us at www.mytailoredhearing.co.uk to book in for your free hearing assessment. We are open 9:30-4:30 Monday to Friday. Evening, weekend and home visit appointments available on request.
