Thanksgiving is going to be here before you know it, and holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving present one of the most complex listening scenarios you’ll encounter all year. For people with hearing aids, this complexity can be especially daunting. As your audiologist at Aaron's Hearing Aid & Audiology Center, we want to offer some advice on getting your hearing aids ready for holiday gatherings.
Your Hearing Aids and the Holidays
Your hearing aids are essential devices that strengthen communication and even bolster your physical and mental health. They are an invaluable tool in settings like the Thanksgiving dinner table, when lengthy conversations with multiple people speaking at once are on the menu, right next to the heirloom cranberry sauce recipe.
Therefore, we strongly encourage you to wear your hearing aids in these settings. The unfortunate statistic is that the majority of adults who could benefit from hearing aids do not use them. If you frequently hesitate to wear your hearing aids, don’t do that today.
Our next recommendation is to schedule a visit with your audiologist, especially if it’s been a year (or more) since your last visit. Let’s go over some things we can accomplish before Turkey Day.
Update Your Audiogram
First, we should do a hearing test to update your audiogram. Just like any other prescription, it’s good to reevaluate your health needs regularly and ensure that your prescription is still serving you. Hearing loss is a progressive condition, and it will change over time; we need to make sure your hearing aids progress with it so they can continue to meet your hearing needs.
Speech-in-Noise Settings
Your hearing aids come with a number of preset listening programs, and we may have even created custom programs for your devices in the past for certain scenarios. Consider, then, a custom listening program for the Thanksgiving table. Difficulty hearing speech in noise is a common complaint among people with hearing loss, but we can fine-tune your hearing aids to perform better.
Service Your Devices
Think of it like taking your car in for service before a long road trip. Get the oil changed, rotate the tires, etc. We’ll give your hearing aids a thorough check to ensure they’re still functioning properly. We’ll also clean off any excess earwax and other debris that could impact hearing aid performance.
Time to Consider an Upgrade?
Based on the factors discussed above, we may discover that it’s a prudent time to upgrade your hearing aids to a newer pair. If your hearing loss has progressed beyond what your current set can adequately manage, you’ll want something more powerful. Or if your hearing aids are damaged or malfunctioning, that could signal that it’s time to trade them in. That is, of course, a discussion for us to have in-person, but we definitely want you to have your hearing aids in peak condition before the chaotic and festive holiday season.
If you haven’t scheduled a pre-holiday audiologist checkup yet, now is the time to do so. Call Aaron's Hearing Aid & Audiology Center to make an appointment.