Communicating

Communicating with a person with a hearing loss can be difficult. Communication is a basic need for all of us and it is very important that you play your part in ensuring the best communication possible when you are together with people with a hearing loss.

Some listening situations are more challenging than others and require more of you:
 

Hearing  in noise

One of the most problematic situations for hearing aid users is background noise. The inner ear and the brain are normally capable of distinguishing the sound of a voice from noise and ignoring the latter. This ability is often reduced when you have a hearing loss.
 

Hearing from a distance

Despite wearing hearing aids, many hearing aid users find it difficult to communicate when hearing from a distance. There can be several reasons for this. Firstly, people with a hearing loss might not have the same ability to focus their hearing on a single sound. Secondly, the voice in this situation is a soft sound that the hearing aids will only amplify as every other weak sound. Furthermore, hearing aid users often depend on lip movement and body language more than people with normal hearing.