Deaf Awareness Week takes place in the UK from 14th to 20th May this year.  At The Hearing Centre we fully support this initiative and do our best to raise awareness of deafness all year round.

One of the questions we are often asked by our customers, is what tactics can help me to hear better?  Of course, we provide technical solutions such as hearing aids, but we are also able to offer practical tips and advice for people with all levels of hearing loss, too.

Here are some of our top tips for hearing better when communicating:

Tell people you may struggle to hear

Almost everyone will struggle to hear at some point in their lives, or at the very least be close to someone else who suffers from hearing loss.  By telling someone that you need them to speak up, slow down or to face you so that you can lip read, you’re helping them to communicate better with you from the start of your conversation.

Similarly, if your hearing is better in one ear than the other, ask them to swap places with you if you’re walking or sitting next to someone who is speaking into your weaker ear.

Stand close to hear better

The nearer you are to someone, the better you’ll be able to hear them.  So, if you’re having a conversation with someone whilst trying to do something else in another room, you’re limiting your chances of being able to follow the conversation properly.  If the person you’re speaking to wanders away or has a conversation with you whilst doing something else, ask them to make sure they have your attention before starting or carrying on a conversation, as you may not be able to hear that they’re speaking to you otherwise.

It also helps to be able to see the face and lips of the person you’re speaking to.  Their facial expressions will provide you with signs of whether you have heard them correctly and responded relevantly or not and being able to see their lips means that you can try to lip-read as they speak.

Repeating words

Everyone asks people to repeat themselves now and then, even people with perfect hearing.  Don’t be afraid to ask someone to repeat themselves but try to ask specific questions when you do.  Instead of saying ‘Pardon?’ or ‘What did you say?’ try showing that you grasped some of the conversation and say ‘What was the last bit of what you just said?’ or ‘What was that about Tom?’.

On this note, if you mishear something and respond with something irrelevant, it’s best to laugh at your mistake and brush it off then ask for the person to repeat themselves.

Pause to think when listening

Sometimes taking a second or two to stop and try to think what someone said, in context to what you have said, will help you to make sense of their words in your head, without asking for them to repeat themselves.

Avoid background noise

Try to have conversations in the quietest environment possible.  If you’re at home trying to have a conversation, then move away from busy areas with televisions, other conversations or household sounds like a washing machine or hoover.  If you’re at work or eating out, try to have conversations when stood or seated away from doors, kitchens, communal areas or anywhere without soft furnishings that reduce echo from other noises.

Take a notepad with you

If you require specific information, whether it’s directions, a time and date to meet or just a list of instructions for completing a task, to make sure that you have heard and understood correctly, it can help to write down what you’re being told.  You can then show it to the person speaking or repeat it back to them to confirm it as correct.

Take advantage of assistive listening devices

If you have hearing aids, turn them up or down to suit difference situations.  There are also listening devices available to help you hear music, television, radio or other sounds such as an oven timer, alarm or telephone.

Give yourself a break

Remember that nobody hears perfectly all of the time. Often a setting or circumstance will cause you to struggle to hear and when it’s something that’s out of your control, you can’t be expected to hear everything properly.

Expert advice about hearing loss

To speak to a hearing specialist about how to improve your hearing when communicating, contact the experts at The Hearing Centre who will be happy to help.  Contact us on 0116 254 3909 or email info@hearingcentre.com to arrange an appointment at our clinic in Leicester.