When you ponder Thanksgiving, what do you think about besides turkey? Does the cooking and preparing with the family begin days before? While you are following grandma's classic pecan pie recipe, will you reminisce with each other? It's warm and comfy because you are together, and a delicious aroma is wafting from the oven. As the family laughs about your son's latest dating adventure or listens to the grandkids laugh and put on a holiday play, will you be laughing with them? Or are you struggling to catch the punchline of every joke?
Loss of hearing doesn't need to define the holiday season for you. You can take charge of your holiday experience, from hearing a salesperson at a noisy store to chatting over drinks at the company party. You don't need to be held hostage by hearing loss. Consider how to get the most out of your holiday despite your loss of hearing. Here are some recommendations.
Stay away from any speakers that might interfere with your hearing aids. Don't be shy about asking the host to turn down the music so you can hear better.
Manage Your Expectations. It's an impractical expectation to think that you will stroll into a party and find everything to be ideal. Things will be more challenging because of your loss of hearing. Just tackle it with a sense of humor and don't allow the difficulties to cause you stress.
Be aware of the visual clues. When someone is looking right at you, they are most likely talking to you. If you didn't hear what they said inform them.
If you prefer to fly or ride the rails, it can be hard to hear announcements over the speaker. There are some things you can do to make the trip easier. Finding out if the airport or train station offers any special services for the hearing impaired is the first step. There might be an app you can get on your phone that shows vital info or visual signs that show oral announcements. They could also offer priority boarding, for instance, or a sign language interpreter if you need one. If being close enough to lip read or ask questions is essential, you can ask for priority seating. They might also offer to bring you through a select line in security, too. Be certain to inquire a few weeks early if you want to know what is provided.
Be sure the attendants are aware that you have hearing loss when you board. That way they will know to tap you on the shoulder if you fail to answer when they ask you if you want a drink.
If you are staying at a hotel, let them know you are hearing impaired when you set your reservation. Many resorts have rooms or devices available for those with hearing loss such as vibrating alarm clocks and phones which flash lights instead of ringing. So they can improve your safety, some places are also set up with alarms that flash lights.
Wear your hearing aids as you go through security. Taking them out is not required. Also, during a flight, you can leave them in.
And if you don't already own hearing aids, perhaps it's time. In the latest hearing aids, there are functions that will eliminate background noise, enhance conversation while amplifying sound. The holidays are a once a year celebration. There is no reason the holidays can't be everything you remember whether you've had hearing loss your whole life or if it's more recent. Make an appointment with your hearing care professional to find out what your hearing options are.