As Christmas approaches, many of us will be looking forward to family gatherings and Yuletide events. However, the season can be difficult for lots of people, including those with hearing loss.
You might not realise a friend, parent or grandparent may be nervous about Christmas dinner, attending nativity plays, or coming to a festive party, but many people who struggle with their hearing might be starting to get anxious about the hustle and bustle over the next few weeks.
Here are a few reasons why and what you can do to help.
Hard to communicate
For the hosts, the main focus of Christmas Day will be planning and cooking a delicious festive feast for loved ones. However, for the one in three adults who live with hearing loss, Christmas dinner could be an occasion they are dreading.
This is because they find it hard to hear what is being said at the table. This means they can miss the cracker jokes, feel left out of the conversation, or become overwhelmed by overlapping voices.
There are often lots of people sitting together, which can mean more than one conversation is taking place, from discussing the meal to reading out jokes. This can make it particularly hard for those who are hard on hearing to follow what is going on.
Subsequently, they might remain quiet and pull away from conversations.
Background noise
In addition to many voices, there is often lots of background noise at Christmas, such as festive music.
This can mean people end up shouting over the tunes to be heard and the main gist of the conversation can be lost under the jingly bells and elaborate harmonies.
While Christmas songs can create a jovial atmosphere, the music can certainly force people with hearing loss to have to work harder to hear what is being said.
Noisy children
There’s no doubt about it, Christmas is an incredibly exciting time for children, and it’s hard to get young kids to calm down after finding their presents, opening their gifts or eating lots of treats.
As a result, the atmosphere can be very noisy and chaotic, with people moving about and voices flying across the room.
Most people with hearing loss will want to be around the children or grandchildren to see their excited faces on Christmas Day, but the cacophony of noises from multiple kids can make it less enjoyable for them.
Ringing ears
Consequently, those who cannot hear well can end up with ringing ears after a day of trying to follow different conversations.
This is due to the brain working really hard to hear what is going on and amplifying internal sounds instead. This includes vibrations coming from damaged nerves, which can cause this ringing or buzzing sensation instead.
As a result, many people with hearing loss end Christmas Day with bad headaches due to the uncomfortable and consistent ringing in their ears.
According to the American Academy of Audiology, it can also lead to fatigue, due to the brain working overtime to distinguish sounds and understand what loved ones are saying.
If the Christmas season is full of large events, this can become very wearing and may mean they are not able to be fully present at each occasion.
How you can help
If you have a friend or relative that has hearing loss, it is a good idea to be deaf aware over the Christmas season. This could involve taking turns to speak, making sure the lighting is good to make lip reading easier, reducing background noise, using hand gestures, and repeating when asked.
It is also important not to shout, as this can be uncomfortable for those who use private hearing aids. What’s more, slowing down your speech can make it harder for those who are lip reading to interpret what you are saying.