Holiday parties are a great way to unwind, spend time with friends and family and enjoy festive desserts. Before attending, you might pick out an outfit, figure out a ride or bake something to bring to the host. If you have hearing loss, your checklist for a holiday party should also include learning how to take advantage of your hearing aids.
Prepping Your Hearing Aids for the Party
Before heading to the party, take a moment to clean and charge your hearing aids. Cleaning may vary between styles, but typically includes the following steps:
- Wipe down the body, tubing and earmold of your devices with a soft, dry cloth
- Use a brush and pick to gently clear any wax or debris from the microphone, receiver and small crevices
- Wash the earmold and tubing if they’re removable and let them dry completely before reattaching
After cleaning, replace the batteries or recharge if necessary.
Embrace Your Hearing Aid Features and Benefits
Modern hearing aids have helpful features that can make your holiday party even more fun. Two party-perfect features include:
- Directional microphones. Directional microphones amplify sound in front of and behind you. They’re great for crowded areas where you want to focus on one conversation without getting distracted by surrounding noise.
- Real-time volume adjustment. Some devices feature advanced AI processing that automatically adjusts their volume according to your environment. For example, they’ll lower the volume when you’re reading in the Houston Public Library and raise it when someone pumps up the music at your party. Other devices offer manual volume adjustment. You can adjust it on your smartphone or with buttons on the device.
Not only do hearing aids offer these features, but they have some mental benefits as well:
- Increased confidence. People with hearing loss often feel unsure when entering a challenging communication environment. With the amplifications hearing aids offer, you can enjoy the party without worrying about talking with others.
- Greater energy. When you have hearing loss, every conversation is like a riddle. Trying to decode missing words or sentences can leave you exhausted. Hearing aids lift that mental load by bringing amplified speech directly to your ears, eliminating the need for deciphering.
A little holiday prep goes a long way towards a fun holiday season. To learn more about the benefits of hearing aids or to schedule a service and repair appointment, contact Hearing Systems today.